Indian student pilot survives Iloilo crash

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – A Cessna plane piloted by a student crashed shortly after landing at the new Iloilo Airport yesterday noon.

A local radio station identified the student pilot as 20-year-old Kutty Peeyush, an Indian national studying at the Visayas Aerospace College of Technology in Cabatuan town. He had no companion during the flight.

Peeyush suffered no serious injuries, only pain in the left knee. He was brought to the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital were he was declared out of danger.

Local officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines did not issue any statement, except saying that airport operations were not hampered nor were any flights delayed.

Peeyush reportedly told the hospital staff that he lost control of the light plane shortly after touching down at the airport, and veered off toward a rice field.

An airport fire truck had to tow the plane so as not to obstruct the runway.