9 killed as plane crashes in Cotabato City

(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines (AP) – A decades-old military plane crashed Thursday into a residential area in the southern Philippines, killing a senior air force commander and seven other people aboard, officials said. One person died on the ground while two others were injured.

The plane had stopped in Cotabato on its way from Davao city to Zamboanga city, Ferrer said. 

The pilot radioed soon after takeoff to say the plane had an emergency and was heading back when it crashed, Civil Aviation Authority deputy director Ed Kapunan said a radio interview. 

The plane was acquired by the government from Australia in 1976. Three others still in service will be grounded pending results of an investigation, said air force spokesman Lt. Col. Gerardo Zamudio. – With AP