Fire guts helicopter; 8 PAF, Army men safe

MANILA, Philippines - Eight Philippine Air Force and Army personnel, including two pilots, escaped death when a PAF helicopter developed engine trouble and was engulfed by fire minutes after making an emergency landing at a rice field in a remote village in Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur yesterday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Okol, PAF spokesman, said the Vietnam-vintage UH-1H helicopter was on a “troop insertion” mission along with another UH-1H when the incident occurred at around 1:45 p.m.

Pilots Capt. John Gador and Lt. Edbert Ngina, along with their six passengers, were able to get out of the burning helicopter, which the local police said was totally gutted. – With Rudy Santos