Cessna forced to land on lahar trail in Zambales

MANILA, Philippines - A Cessna 152 light trainer aircraft with two passengers on board was forced to land at the Sta. Fe lahar trail in San Marcelino, Zambales yesterday morning. 

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the Cessna plane with registry number RPC-8832 operated by Omni Aviation Corp., a fixed base operator and aviation training school at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga, landed on the lahar trail at 8:25 a.m. It took off from Baguio City at 7:52 a.m.

Based on initial information, CAAP said the pilot, Capt. Eliseo de Luna, and his co-pilot, Christopher Logro, declared that they would make an emergency landing or force landing on the lahar trail because the aircraft was encountering low oil pressure. 

The aircraft, according to reports, was intact while the two pilots were safe as residents near the site assisted them.

CAAP dispatched its investigators to the scene to determine the cause of the forced landing.– With Ric Sapnu