Sunken plane off Masbate lifted to surface, Nepalese pilot not inside wreckage

MANILA, Philippines - The wingless Seneca Piper plane that sank 180 feet to the ocean floor off Masbate City had been lifted to the surface Wednesday night by a team of Navy men and other professional divers, who earlier retrieved the bodies of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and veteran pilot Jessup Bahinting.

But the remains of Bahinting's Nepalese co-pilot, Kshitiz Chand, 22, was not inside the wreckage, according to Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II. [See related story: Young pilot with Robredo on ill-fated plane wanted to serve Nepal by joining its army]

The plane, with body number RP-34431, crashed off the city's Barangay Ibingay 800 meters from the shore on Saturday, August 18, due to engine problem.

Bahinting's remains were recovered earlier in the day, while Robredo's body was retrieved on Tuesday. Robredo's aide, Police Senior Supt. June Paolo Abrazado survived the crash.

article source: interaksyon.com

Bahinting's body pulled out of plane

MANILA, Philippines -- The remains of 60-year-old veteran pilot Jessup Bahinting was recovered Wednesday afternoon from the ill-fated light plane that crashed off Masbate City with the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo onboard, authorities said.

Earlier in the day, Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II in a tweet said the body was "unrecognizable though with a ring."

It was Bahinting's brother, Orson, who identified the victim.

"It's confirmed," Orson told a television station Wednesday night adding that the remains of his brother would be brought to Cebu City.

Robredo's body was recovered by divers from the fuselage of the downed Piper Tuesday afternoon.

Aside from Robredo and Bahinting, co-pilot, Kshitiz Chand, also went down with the plane. The 22-year-old Nepalese remains missing.

Only Robredo's aide, Senior Inspector Jun Abrasado, survived the August 18 crash.

Meanwhile, News5 reported past 8 p.m. that Department of National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that the wreckage of the Piper Seneca plane, which sank 180 feet to the ocean floor, had been lifted near the surface and would be brought to shallow waters.

source: interaksyon.com