As if the tragedy of three aerial spray aircraft that crashed while on flight over banana plantations in Southern Mindanao in the last month were not enough, another spray plane crash- landed yesterday, killing the pilot, in Barangay Mangayon, in Compostela town, Compostela Valley.
Region XI is a largely agriculture-based economy with vast tracts of land planted into banana. The area is considered to be the third largest banana-producing places in the world, which also boasts as the country’s top export product.
Southern Mindanao regional police director Chief Superintendent Andres Caro identified the pilot as Captain Mario Reyes, who was flying a Turbo Trush light plane with registry PRC-R2827.
Police reports showed Reyes took off at 6:30 a.m. yesterday and was applying fungicide through aerial spray over the banana plantations owned by the Compostela Valley Plantation, Inc.
Authorities reportedly initially had a hard time retrieving Reyes’ remains as he reportedly crashed into a hilly and remote portion of Barangay Mangayon.
Yesterday’s tragedy actually followed just the other month’s collision of two aerial spray planes that killed Captain Querico Cajucom and injured another pilot, Captain Limbirth Laguda, also in Compostela Valley.
Just prior to the collision, another aerial spray light plane also crashed while applying fungicide over a banana plantation in the town of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.
However, Air Transportation Office (ATO) regional manager Frederick San Felix expressed doubt over the reported incident claiming their office has not received any report of the crash as of late yesterday afternoon.