No actual flight test on Robredo plane – report

MANILA, Philippines - The Piper Seneca plane that crashed in Masbate Bay, killing Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others last Aug. 18, did not undergo an actual flight test when the aircraft owner, Aviatours Fly’n Inc., applied for the renewal of the plane’s airworthiness certificate last January.

This is according to the 14-page draft aircraft accident investigation report obtained by The STAR, which also revealed that the ill-fated plane was not among the light planes that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) allowed Aviatour to maintain, repair and operate.

The Piper PA -34-200, which was manufactured in 1972, was issued a certificate of airworthiness by the US Federal Aviation Administration on Sept. 24, 2007. It  was registered by CAAP on Oct. 4, 2007.

The report said the maintenance history of the Piper Seneca revealed that the aircraft was grounded from Oct. 28 up to last Feb. 2.

On Oct. 28, 2011, there was a pilot remark in the aircraft log book that states there is a  need to install a new propeller. The propeller was sent to AEROMANIA, the CAAP approved repair station, for overhaul, on Nov. 5, 2011.

On Nov. 19, 2011, the Aviatour logbook stated that the defective propeller on the right engine was fitted as indicated in their application for renewal of airworthiness certificates.

On the same date a test flight permit indicated that a one-hour test flight was flown by Capt. Federico Omolon III found the aircraft satisfactory for airworthiness renewal.

“However, there was no record/entry on the aircraft log book for this flight. Check on the MCIA flight operation log book revealed that no flight plan for RPC-4431 was filed that day,” the report said.

The airworthiness certificate for the ill-fated plane was issued last Feb. 2, with Jan. 6, 2013 as the expiration date.

The report noted that the inspection of the right engine retrieved from the crash showed  there was no problem with the propeller but the right engine shaft was loose.

”The stude that was screwed to the crankcase was missing... Lock plate was damaged,” it added.