Pilot dies, another hurt in Davao light plane collision

DAVAO CITY – A pilot died while another pilot was injured yesterday morning when the chemical spray aircraft they were flying collided in mid-air at a banana plantation in the boundary between the towns of Kapalong and Ascuncion in Davao del Norte.

Killed in the collision was one Capt. Quirico Cahucom of Mactan Air while Capt. Limbirth Laguda of Airworks Aviation Corp., was rushed to the Kapalong Municipal Hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

The two aircraft collided at around 8 a.m. yesterday morning at Purok 13, Lower Mabini, Barangay Maniki, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, in the boundary of Barangay Magatos in the neighboring town of Asuncion.

The chief of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), Col. Jose Saplan, said that the two single-seater planes, RPR-owned by Airworks Aviation and RPR-5860 owned by Mactan Aviation were dusting the huge banana plantation in Tagum when for still unexplained reasons, the two airplanes collided in mid-air.

As a result, Cajucom’s plane was burned which resulted to his instantaneous death while Laguda survived the accident as his aircraft was only damaged.

The aircraft of Cajucom reportedly crashed in Purok 13 while that of Laguda went down at Purok 19 of Barangay Maniki in Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

One aircraft was said to be owned by Mactan Air while the other by Airworks and were both said to be under contract by AMS banana plantation.

The Airworks aircraft reportedly bore 5860 registry number while that of Mactan Air did not have any corresponding number. Air Transportation Office Southern Mindanao assistant manager Joey Sadam, told The STAR that a certain Mrs. Fuentes of Airworks reported the incident to the air control tower here at the Davao International Airport at around 8:20 a.m. yesterday.

“We are still awaiting investigators from Manila who would look further into the incident,” Sadam said.

Sadam said that even if such air spray aircraft, also known as AG-CAT, mostly fly in the agricultural areas in the provinces, the ATO still regularly checks on their air-worthiness.

“We do periodic check on these aircraft aside from the fact that their respective companies also regularly check on the parts and if they need to be replaced and such things,” Sadam said. He said that an AG-CAT aircraft is a single-engine biplane agricultural aircraft that was developed in the 1950s. “But those that are used in the aerial spray of chemicals here are, I believe, still airworthy,” Sadam said.

Yesterday’s accident was the second in one month involving chemical spray aircraft following the incident wherein another AG-CAT aircraft also crashed in a banana plantation in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.

AG-CAT aircraft are widely used in Southern Mindanao which is a largely agriculture-based economy. The region is considered to be the third largest banana-producing area in the world.   – With Rudy Santos, AP, AFP