Murky waters hamper search for PAF plane

MANILA, Philippines - The murky waters of Manila Bay have been hampering the continuing search and retrieval operations for a missing Philippine Air Force (PAF) trainer plane that crashed into the sea an hour after taking off from Cavite City last May 25.

Combined Air Force and Navy search teams have been using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to scan the seabed in the mouth of Manila Bay for the missing SF260 trainer plane and its two pilots.

“The ROV was able to conduct five seabed scanning operations but unfortunately, it was not able to provide good visibility due to the murky and muddy waters,” Col. Ernesto Okol, PAF spokesman, said.

The missing PAF trainer plane, piloted by Maj. Niel Tumaneng and 1Lt. Michael Arugay, took off from the Sangley Point airfield in Cavite at around 7 a.m. last May 25 for a routine proficiency flight.

An hour later, fishermen near Corregidor Island saw the plane crashing into the sea near an islet in Mariveles, Bataan.

Aside from a Philippine Navy vessel, the PAF has also utilized a fishing boat in its continuing retrieval operations.

Okol said ROV and sonar seabed scanning operations were conducted yesterday, but failed to produce positive results.