(UPDATE) Light plane crashes in Davao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - A light plane used for spraying pesticides on banana plantations crashed in the southern Philippines yesterday morning, local police said today.

Provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Samuel Gadingan said the pilot of the single-engine Pawnee crop duster (RP-R5859), identified as Edcel Luciano, escaped unhurt after the plane crashed in Sampao village, Kapalong town in Davao del Norte province.

Gadingan said the plane was conducting spraying runs over a plantation for exportable Cavendish bananas at 7:56 a.m., local time, on Wednesday.

"The plane's engine suddenly conked out due to apparent mechanical malfunction and the aircraft nosedived to a vacant lot at the edge of the plantation," Gadingan told Xinhua via text message.

Accidents involving spray planes are common in southern Philippines where growers of Cavendish banana use aging light airplanes to spray pesticide on large tracts of farm land.