Cessna training aircraft crashes in Apayao, Philippines, claiming two lives

The small aircraft had gone missing while en route to Tuguegarao Airport in Cagayan.

According to the provincial information office (PIO) of Cagayan, the crash site was located on the boundary between Barangay Salvacion in Luna town and Barangay San Mariano in Pudtol town.

The two passengers onboard, identified as Capt. Edzel John Lumbao Tabuzo, the pilot, and Indian student pilot Anshum Rajkumar Konde, were found deceased, confirmed the Cagayan PIO.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) reported that the training aircraft failed to land at Tuguegarao Airport following its departure from Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte.

The aircraft, operated by Echo Air, an aviation academy based in Tuguegarao City, was last spotted 32 nautical miles northwest of Alcala, Cagayan, flying at an altitude of 7,500 feet.

The crashed aircraft was an American two-seater, fixed-tricycle-gear general aviation airplane primarily used for flight training and personal purposes.

An ongoing investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash, as authorities work to unravel the circumstances surrounding this tragic event. (ILKHA)