Navy helicopter makes emergency landing

MANILA, Philippines - Four Navy personnel and a photographer cheated death when their Navy helicopter engaged in the search and retrieval operations for missing Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo made an emergency landing in the waist-deep waters in Donsol, Sorsogon yesterday morning.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) identified the five people on board the helicopter as Navy pilots Lt. Rowene Colita, Lt. Jg. Nelson Alquiza, co-pilot; AD3 (Aviation Machinest-3) Rodrigo Gernale, AD2 Leo Calmante and Danny Pata, photographer of a Manila-based newspaper.

STAR photographer Edd Gumban said that he and three other photographers, one of them Pata, drew lots to determine who would board the helicopter for the aerial survey because only one additional passenger could be accommodated in the chopper.

The Philippine Navy (PN), while declining to give details of the mishap, has confirmed that its 105 Bolkow TNH 422 helicopter had executed a “precautionary landing.”