Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 1) — Defective aircraft instruments and the pilot’s inappropriate reaction led to the crash of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) C-130 plane in Patikul, Sulu last July, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday.
Lorenzana told lawmakers that a “confluence” of events caused the tragedy on July 4.
“It’s actually the confluence of many events. One for the C-130 is defective instruments or systems, plus of course the reaction of the pilot was not also appropriate for the emergency. So nagka-crash,” he said during the House Appropriations Committee’s briefing on the Department of National Defense’s (DND) proposed ₱291-billion budget for 2022.
The incident claimed the lives of 50 soldiers and three civilians. Last August 20, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it has identified all military men who died in the crash.
Meanwhile, Lorenzana blamed bad weather for the crash of the PAF’s newly acquired Black Hawk chopper in Tarlac last June, which left six people dead.
“For the Black Hawk: bad weather. Nakapasok sila sa (They went into the) clouds, nagkaroon sila ng (they had) vertigo, hindi nila alam saan ang direksyon nila (and they did not know what their direction was) so that caused the crash,” he said.
Lorenzana said the DND will submit the report on the military’s investigation on the two crashes within 24 hours after the hearing.
