Mar: Bahinting's licenses valid

MANILA, Philippines -  Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II yesterday dismissed reports that the licenses of Aviatour Aviation and its late owner-pilot Jessup Bahinting were not valid.

Bahinting was pilot-in-command of the ill-fated Piper Seneca that crashed two weeks ago with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo on board.

Roxas said that the DOTC was deferring to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to determine the cause of the crash and take any necessary action based on their investigation.

He said that the reports of alleged irregularities committed by Aviatour have so far been “baseless speculations.”

“As far as I know, Bahinting’s licenses were current. Also, Bahinting was in the captain’s seat, the left one,” Roxas said.

Bahinting was laid to rest yesterday in his native Cebu.

Lawyer Nicasio Conti, DOTC spokesman, said that a check on Bahinting’s licenses, as well as that of Aviatour Aviation, showed that his pilot license will expire in March 2013.

The air taxi operator’s permit of Aviatour, on the other hand, is valid until Nov. 14, 2012, and the flying school permit is valid until Aug. 29, 2012.

The CAAP last week reported to the DOTC that an initial inspection by the three-man Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) investigating the crash discovered that the emergency location transmitter (ELT) failed to activate upon the plane’s impact on the waters off Masbate.

CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III said that prior to the accident, the plane’s ELT was functioning well when they conducted regular routine check. An ELT is the device that automatically activates when a plane encounters emergency landing or any disaster. CAAP last checked the plane’s ELT on Nov. 21, 2011 and this is valid for operation within a year. The ELT was found with the plane wreckage Wednesday last week but the right engine is yet to be recovered. 

Hotchkiss also dismissed speculations that the plane used diluted aviation fuel, causing the fatal crash.

He said that premature conjectures like this will not help the CAAP’s investigation. 

Hotchkiss, a former Philippine Air Force commanding general and elite fighter jet pilot, added that part of their investigation is to check the fuel used in the engine and trace where the plane last refueled prior to its flight from Cebu to Naga City. – With Perseus Echeminada, Evelyn Macairan, Ria Mae Booc/Freeman