BAGUIO CITY: A two-seater Cessna 152 trainer airplane crash-landed at the Loakan Airport here on Thursday morning injuring its pilot and student pilot. Apparently landed already at the airport and was doing a right U-turn when one of its landing gear overshot the runway sending it to turn upside down at about 9:27 a.m.
The pilot of the more than 33-year old trainer plane—Capt. Glen Pedraja and student pilot Paul Burns were rushed to the Philippine Military Academy hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
“We cannot yet ascertain what really caused the accident pending investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines,” said Police Insp. Carolina Desiderio, station chief of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group at the Loakan Airport.
Civil Aviations Authority of the Philippines chief Mary Celine Sagursur have yet to issue any official statement, while investigators have not started probing before noon Thursday.
The Cessna plane with tail number RPC 8864 is owned by Clark, Pampanga-based Omni Aviation Flying School.
Developed in 1977 to replace the long-running Cessna 150, this light airplane is still widely used across the globe, by individuals, flying schools and for touring.
Cessna 152 is one of the smallest 4-cylinder engine airplanes in use.
The Cessna 152 is a very robust all-metal two-seater trainer, with a design that now looks rather old-fashioned compared with the lighter, modern, synthetic fiber planes, or even with the wonderful wood-and-cloth Robin.
THOM F. PICAÑA
