Former Phivolcs chief, eight others killed in helicopter crash
04/28 3:28:28 PM

MANILA (AFP) - A military helicopter carrying a group of government scientists and a Red Cross official crashed in a mountainous area of the northern Philippines on Thursday, killing all nine people on board, officials said.

Three rescue helicopters reached the crash site on the slopes of Mount Namal near the town of Gabaldon, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of here and retrieved the bodies within hours, they added.

Among those killed were four scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) as well as their former boss, Raymundo Punongbayan, the country's most famous seismologist, according to Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum.

Punongbayan became a governor of the Filipino chapter of the Red Cross after retirement.

The helicopter's four-man crew were also killed, Solidum said.

The cause of the crash was not known, said the air force, who added that it happened under clear skies.

Senator Richard Gordon said the flight was organized by the Philippine National Red Cross to conduct an aerial inspection of a planned resettlement site for victims of last November's deadly landslides around the town of Dingalan, near Gabaldon.

"I received a message from the Office of Civil Defense that unfortunately, all the passengers died," said Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum.

"The aircraft exploded but we don't know if it was upon impact or while in mid-air," said Senior Inspector Pablo Cruz, police chief of Gabaldon, who was among the first at the crash scene.

"We don't want to speculate on the cause of the accident, though we are not discounting the (possibility) that there could have been ... environmental reasons that caused the crash," said Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Restituto Padilla.

Gordon, the chairman of the Filipino Red Cross chapter, said on local television that Punongbayan had inspected the resettlement area by land last week.

"He said he identified potential areas of danger (of further landslides) and he wanted to confirm it by air. So I went to Secretary (Avelino) Cruz of the Department of National Defense to borrow a helicopter," Gordon added.

Ex-Phivolcs chief, 8 others killed in helicopter crash
Posted 01:28pm (Mla time) April 28, 2005
Inquirer News Service, INQ7.net, GMA7, Agence France-Presse

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?in...&story_id=35222


(3rd UPDATE) NINE people, including the former head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), were killed when a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter they were riding crashed on the mountains of Nueva Ecija province, reports culled by INQ7.net said Thursday.
The remains of seven of the nine bodies that were recovered from the crash site arrived at the Villamor Air Base Thursday afternoon, GMA Network radio station dzBB said. They have not been identified.

The report also said search and retrieval operations were stopped due to bad weather.

Former Phivolcs head Raymundo Punongbayan was with four Phivolcs staff, two pilots, and two crewmembers, when their US-made Bell UH-1H helicopter crashed near Gabaldon town, Nueva Ecija, Renato Solidum Jr., Phivolcs director, said in separate interviews on radio and Agence France-Presse.

Punongbayan's son, Eric, told INQ7.net that the family was in the process of making burial arrangements.

Solidum and a Phivolcs statement identified the Phivolcs staff as Dr. Jessie Daligdig, 44; Dindo Javier, 41; Orlando Abengoza, 49; and Dr. Norman Tungol, 40, chief of the Phivolc's geology and geophysics research and development division.

A dzBB report identified the two pilots as First Lieutenants Reynaldo Gerrodias and Jason Salazar and the two crewmembers as Staff Sergeants Edgar Ramolete and Wilbert Tacatac.

Senator Richard Gordon said in a live dzBB interview that he was supposed to be with the Philvolcs team on that mission.

Gordon, chairman of the Filipino Red Cross chapter, said on local television that Punongbayan had inspected the resettlement area by land last week.

"He said he identified potential areas of danger (of further landslides) and he wanted to confirm it by air. So I went to Secretary (Avelino) Cruz of the Department of National Defense to borrow a helicopter," Gordon added.

Meanwhile, Major Augusto dela Peña of the Philippine Air Force Public Information Office told the same radio station that all Air Force helicopters had been grounded.

"I received a message from the Office of Civil Defense that unfortunately, all the passengers died," said Solidum in an earlier interview with Agence France-Presse.

"The aircraft exploded but we don't know if it was upon impact or while in mid-air," said Senior Inspector Pablo Cruz, police chief of Gabaldon, who was among the first at the crash scene.

The aircraft was en route to the mountainous town of Dingalan in Aurora province to determine whether the area was suitable for building new houses following deadly landslides last year.

"They were on a mission to conduct [an] ocular inspection," said Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Restituto Padilla.

Dela Peña said the helicopter took off from Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija at around 8:41 a.m.

Earlier on Thursday, Gabaldon Mayor Dominador Mandia, in a telephone interview with Inquirer News Service, said a councilor who was coordinating a project near the crash site reported the incident to him at about 11 a.m.


With reports from Joel Francis Guinto, Klara Añonuevo, Paul Xymon Garcia, Jum Balea, INQ7.net; Anselmo Roque and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer News Service; GMA7; and Agence France-Presse

from GMA News: in lieu of the helicopter crash that killed Dr. Raymundo Punongbayan and eight others, ALL PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE UH-1H HELICOPTERS HAVE BEEN GROUNDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

information about the Huey that crashed: Serial Number 324; bought by the Philippines from the US in 2002; had been involved in a "hard landing" during a training sortie.

9 dead as helicopter crashes in Philippines
AFP, Manila

A military helicopter carrying a group of government scientists and a Red Cross official crashed in a mountainous area of the northern Philippines yesterday, killing all nine people on board, officials said.
Three rescue helicopters reached the crash site on the slopes of Mount Namal near the town of Gabaldon, 100km north of here and retrieved the bodies within hours, they added.

Among those killed were four scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) as well as their former boss, Raymundo Punongb-ayan, the country's most famous seismologist, according to Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum.

Punongbayan became a governor of the Filipino chapter of the Red Cross after retirement.

The helicopter's four-man crew were also killed, Solidum said.

The cause of the crash was not known, said the air force, who added that it happened under clear skies.

Senator Richard Gordon said the flight was organised by the Philippine National Red Cross to conduct an aerial inspection of a planned resettlement site for victims of last November's deadly landslides around the town of Dingalan, near Gabaldon.

"I received a message from the Office of Civil Defence that unfortunately, all the passengers died," said Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum.

"The aircraft exploded but we don't know if it was upon impact or while in mid-air," said Senior Inspector Pablo Cruz, police chief of Gabaldon, who was among the first at the crash scene.



http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/04/29/d504294313111.htm

RIP to all and especially to Punongbayan. Kinda eccentric and I like him.

This should be a lesson to y'all. Don't fly PAF. Hire some private charters. PAF should remove Blue Diamonds and replace with skull and crossed bones symbol. Looks more threatening and in keeping with it's flight record.

Settling for handout aircrafts instead of reducing the number of General to be able to buy those Migs.

flame away.

Bad news, the firemen are ready to douse flame posts. :nono:

The Air Force needs to fly


The crash on Thursday of an Air Force UH1-H helicopter on a hillside in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, has revived two major issues concerning the country’s air assets. One is the airworthiness of our military aircraft and the other is the capability of the Air Force to defend Philippine skies from intruders. The two are intrinsically linked. The condition of the military’s planes determines how many of them can be sent up to intercept and destroy aerial invaders.

The issue of airworthiness has surfaced because of insinuations that the ill-fated chopper was way past its prime that it was flying far beyond its serviceable limits. The Huey, as the UH1 is fondly called, had proven itself in the Vietnam War as a versatile and dependable combat aircraft. But that was more than three decades ago. The Hueys that still fly today must have already logged thousands of air miles and have become vulnerable to the wear and tear that assaults any machine.

A day after the crash, the President ordered all Air Force Hueys grounded for safety checks. The Air Force, however, stoutly defends the Huey that crashed, saying its body may be old, but its engine was “relatively young.” The Air Force also said the aircraft had logged only 5,200 flying hours compared with the more than 10,000 hours flown by other planes in its fleet.

Still, the perception that the Huey is a flying coffin dies hard, and there are calls for the chopper to be retired. The jury, however, is still out on what really caused the crash in Gabaldon. If it is aircraft failure, then the Air Force is faced with a dilemma: what to do with its Hueys. Will they be consigned to the scrap yard?

The Air Force’s ability to defend the country from air attack is a more serious concern. Imagine if you will this scenario: Relations between Malaysia and the Philippines get strained to the point that the two neighbors cut off diplomatic ties. Things heat up, and Malaysia sends its fighter jets over Mindanao as a show of defiance.

How does the Philippines respond? Meekly would be a good guess. It doesn’t have too many options in the first place. There was a time when the Philippine Air Force was the most prestigious component of the Armed Forces. The pride of the PAF was the Blue Diamonds, an aerobatic team that performed during special occasions.

In 1973 the PAF had 140 Hueys, 25 F5A/B jetfighters, 30 Sabre jets, 12 C-130 Hercules planes, eight other cargo aircraft and close to 50 smaller aircraft. That’s a respectable fleet for a Third-World nation.

Today the Air Force has no fighter jets to speak of. All its F-5s have been grounded by old age. It has only 50 UH1-H helicopters.

The Armed Forces has not been remiss in asking Congress for funds to modernize its air fleet. But the problem has always been where to get the money for it.

Perhaps the tragedy in Gabaldon will once again highlight the concerns confronting not only the Air Force, but the entire Armed Forces. We cannot leave the defense of our air space to a hobbled air force.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/m...050502opi1.html

we have bell 212 and 206 they dont crash

i think the one paf bought r extremly old

and where does the defense budget goes u dont have a airforce and navy where u will spend any thing big

blame the gov for keeping a big defense budget and not using th e money wisely and killing it own pilot by using or buying crappy stuff

Correct.

An old cavalry saying, "First the men, then the horses, then the officers, then only then yourself."

But then let's not be quick to judge that the cause of the helicopter crash as materiel failure until it has been investigated. Materiel failure is not always the cause.

Ex-president accused for poor condition of military choppers
05/04 11:19:27 AM

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Tuesday said the Philippine Air Force (PAF) would have been less dependent on reconditioned US Huey helicopters had the seven billion peso-military modernization fund not been lost during the Ramos administration.

Pimentel said part of this "missing" fund would have been spent for the acquisition of new helicopters with advanced safety features, as well as spare parts, which would have helped prevent air accidents.

Earlier, a Huey helicopter crashed in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija and killed nine persons, including former Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Raymundo Punongbayan.

Pimentel lamented that the neglect of the modernization of PAF’s fleet of aircraft, as mandated by law, has not only weakened the fighting and support capability of the air force but also endangered the lives of pilots and passengers.

"It’s very distressing that the money intended for Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP) modernization mysteriously disappeared. If I’m not mistaken, at least seven billion pesos was diverted to still unknown purposes during the time of President Ramos. And it has not been found up to now," Pimentel said.

He asked the Department of Budget and Management and the Bureau of Treasury whether they were able to trace the fund if only to pinpoint responsibility and to take legal action against persons who might have had a hand in its disappearance or illegal use.

Due to lack of necessary funds, Pimentel noted that the PAF is forced to cannibalize aircraft, where instead of purchasing new spare parts, aviation mechanics replace a defective part with a good one taken from a decommissioned helicopter or airplane.

The opposition senator said that while the PAF has to make do with refurbished helicopters, many of which saw action during the Vietnam war, it is important that these are properly maintained to prevent accidents.

He stressed this point in view of reports that skilled aircraft mechanics are leaving the PAF to accept attractive job offers from commercial airlines here and abroad.

The Philippine Star

City Hunter:

"Its not that I value less GMA over ordinary mortals but she should've prioritized the helicopters used by the ordinary troopers. First, it would show that she still cares for the ordinary troopers who need air support and evacuation more. Second, if she wants to use an air transport and instead use one of the ordinary Hueys, rather than her Blackhawks and such, which would have then been made well with the said funds it would even increase the Air Force standing not only with locals but also internationally. Third, it would make those coup rumors be diminished at the very least. Haven't she read Sun Tzu's Art of War? A general must gain the trust and loyalty of his troops before he can succeed in any battle.

As I said before, I personally dislike GMA but hope that she isn't toppled from power. For the alternative would even be worse."

Yes nobody, especially in the Philippines where we already had a president die in a plane crash, would ever want to see another president die in another plane crash. Crash because of poor maintenance, crash by poor piloting, crash by poor weather, crash by shooting down, there shouldnt be any crash at all. Plain and simple, we cannot afford another President Magsaysay incident.

...Why should the President need to diminish coup rumors? is that to say the military is not loyal and should not be trusted?

I have confirmation that a lot are not satisfied the way she handles things. Urong-sulong kasi siya (keeps changing her mind on things). Favored units over those who are not. Plus those no-good generals who seem to be above the law (have you noted how they drag the case of Gen. Garcia? Only GMA7 is left covering it). The coup rumors are becoming more than just rumors. Hope she gets her act straight before they finally set things into motion.

Another thing, most ordinary troopers are left in the dark even as to why they are deploying. That is why those retired generals who still have influence are not to be easily brushed off. And those Magdalo boys still have a lot of buddies who still feel the same way. SpecOps is like a brotherhood. And its not that the soldiers are not loyal to her but they are also becoming aware how hard life is becoming to their families. Filipinos by nature are patient and understanding but it has limits. If its just them they'll take it. That's why you see soldiers though griping still continue the fight even with unreliable tools. But if things are affecting their family and loved ones that's another story.

"SpecOps is like a brotherhood."

But being SpecOps it means you're the best! You are sworn to defend your country no matter what! You are trained to be fit physically, morally and psychologically and would not let your emotions take over you. If you can't, you have no right to be there with the best.

Mere talk of coup gives negative reactions and tends to pull down the whole country and whatever little gains it has attained. That's why there are Generals and Secretaries appointed to handle their areas of responsibilities and not pass it on to the President. Haven't you observed? The top people are replaced, the names are changed, organizations abolished with new ones created, then what? Same old practices prevailed. Anyone who tries to changed things and steps on somebody's turf is an enemy. A never ending story.

If all of us Filipinos goes direct to the President then what we need is a dictatorship which we have disposed of in the first place. The problem with us Filipinos is too much politics. Anybody whom we will place in the Presidency will suffer the same fate with the whole country going way far behind from our neighbors.

That's demo"crazy"!

Ideally that is what must be but in reality it isn't so. Our SpecOps are mostly sent underequipped for their missions. Then they lack the proper support to quickly and effectively accomplish their objectives. And even more if we're going to talk about ordinary troopers. And operating mostly in the dark they lack the proper intel if their actions are already against their Commander-in-Chief.

I posted on the PD forum before that the younger generation have a totally different concept on things from the older corrupted generation. A buddy's buddy was the right hand man of the local head of the AFP at our province. The head honcho was pro administration and his right hand man appears to be the same. But in reality the right hand man was ready to off his boss once word arrives that all is going as planned in Metro Manila. Good thing the coups against Cory then failed thus the assassination plan never went through. Up to now that head honcho never knew how his life may have ended by someone he trusted. The younger generation, much like us, are still idealistic and barely blemished by the sins of life. Some still has the fear of God in them. If you only knew how dirty things are really are I'm sure you'd think ill of GMA too. But taking into consideration the wider picture those vultures waiting for her to fall have an even worse fate for us thus me hoping that GMA pulls through somehow and finally get to work for real.

Back to the helicopter issue, back when I get to hang out in Villamor ordinary PAF guys have ill will on the PSG guys and their special aircrafts. I symphatize with them. Seeing that they have to make the difficult choice on which aircraft should be saved to remain operational while cannibalizing others and hoping against all that the mission it performs will be the one most important while the PSG guys get to prance around and use up precious fuel to do tests and practice all day in more better machines while waiting for that call to ferry some useless political VIP.

What GMA need is a better set of advisers. What she have now are useless yesmen who she thinks she can trust. An adviser must be able to paint the proper picture no matter what the boss may think of.

And on my analysis on the cause of the crash. The Huey although in good condition and fueled was traveling on a mountainous area. It most probably had to fly low as the early morning conditions require it so. It needs to fly at lower altitudes to have that lift unlike planes. The problem is that the wind conditions caused by the mountains was too much for the engine of the Huey. It was buffeted and was then unable to fight the wind thus the reports that it was slammed and bounced before exploding. Then there's the PAF still using old tech avgas. There's already a new avgas tech that will avoid such burns even if you touch a lighted match on it. With the little budget our PAF gets it has to make do with what little it has. If it was a BlackHawk of the PSG it could've flown higher and faster with the engine power to combat the wind conditions.

The current problem with GMA is that not many believe that she assumed power after Erap or won the elections justly. Us Filipinos have already awakened ever since Marcos was deposed from power (although for reasons that are otherwise totally different from what we are led to believe). If GMA assumed the presidency cleanly she wouldn't be in this position. The past election is also an issue as the question of cheating hasn't been erased. FPJ is dead and may have not won for real the election but the fact that she is blocking this unlocking causes more unrest. With her problems in powerplay I doubt that she would survive long. She has already alienated herself from the church and most religious catholics too for using the late Pope John Paul II's name in politics. She should've watch was she's saying. This is another version of the saying "loose lips sink ships". Flapping her mouth too much with incoherent thoughts would cause her downfall.

"Our SpecOps are mostly sent underequipped for their missions."

That's what's great with these guys. They have a job to do, they do it! Knowing they have limited resources still they accomplish their missions.

That's the Filipino Soldier, beyond compare!

"I posted on the PD forum before that the younger generation have a totally different concept on things from the older corrupted generation. "

:exactly:

Young, adventurous, full of idealism. Same sentiments with those guys in the previous coups now part of the older "corrupted" generation. Read some of the related threads and see what it's like as experienced and seen by actual participants. Have you seen our politicians? They were before those rallying at Mendiola, now doing what they despised. TRAPOS!

As for the PSG and Blackhawk, it's their job to keep it that way. The life of the Commander in Chief is trusted on them. And as for the Huey, those pilots trusted that equipment. The passengers trusted the pilots. But as you said the cause might be something else. If there were any failure in the maintenance, it's the people handling it. It's their responsibility. How about the avgas, parts, etc.? It's the people handling the supplies that should be held accountable. See many Generals getting rich. Was it the President's doing?

What if FPJ won?

Will you assure the Filipino people that he will have a better set of advisers and no useless yesmen whom he can trust. Or an adviser that can be able to paint the proper picture no matter what the boss may think of. Worse, it might be the other way around, a puppet President, manage by a Mafia of greedy politicians. Remember it's politics. What is happening is just a fraction of what politicians are playing in order to get power.

What we should do is move on. A coup will only be followed by a coup as experienced by other countries. Little gains we have will be lost down the drain. Lalo lang tayo magiging kawawa. We should start trusting one another and not let ourselves to be used again by those hungry for power. Sobra na, tama na.

If you're a soldier and feels like not being able to take it, get out. Let others prove their worth. But if you feel there are things to be checked, do it from the inside. Cleanse your ranks, watch what is happening and don't let your Unit down, the AFP and your country!

Recently I have read that Gen.Abu is more keen on refurbishing equipments than buying new ones.Which to my mind is realistic and has more of a chance to be fulfilled than having delusional aims to modernize.

Sen. Pimentel said the other day that 7 BILLION pesos intended for modernization of the AFP lost and can no longer be traced during the presidency of Fidel Ramos.

The amount could have done a lot in refurbishing existing equipment.

Who do you think made good use of the money? Ramos?

this maybe an old newspaper article but this is surely something that is relevant to the current state of affairs in the Air Force and the whole AFP establishment itself...


Is the AFP still effective?

Updated 10:43pm (Mla time) Nov 08, 2004
By Bambi Harper
Inquirer News Service


Editor's Note: Published on page A13 of the November 9, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.


WILL cleansing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of scalawags restore its fitness as an effective fighting force? You are well within your rights to wonder what has gotten into me to be writing an article on the military. But hear me out. I received an e-mail that I believe is relevant to you and to many others because the things that are happening are not happening in some remote planet nor to another people but to us.

The writer claims that he seeks to uncover some relevant facts that the congressional hearings and media have not yet revealed. One of them concerned the Oakwood mutiny, which, though it lasted only 20 hours, "left troubling concerns about the readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to effectively prosecute its war against terrorism." The Scout Rangers and Special Warfare Marines were trained by the US and needed to support another campaign against the Abu Sayaff. But since they mutinied, "many ...will either be cashiered or no longer be trusted
with important commands." One can always train more people but the writer claims that they mutinied because "the leadership failed them." It should thrill us to no end to know that the leadership is still around.

Prior to the Oakwood incident, a survey was supposed to have been conducted by the US and Philippine governments, called the Joint Defense Assessment (JDA), to fix the army's shortcomings. (The title of "Joint Defense Assessment" has been changed to "Philippine Defense Review [PDR] to emphasize that the ball is now on our court." If that's the case it must be on freeze). The defense secretary at the time was Angelo Reyes whose resignation the mutineers demanded. The mutiny came and went followed by the Feliciano Commission investigation, followed by Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia's version of "institutional entitlement" (graft and corruption to you) and still the implementation of the JDA remains in limbo. Has anyone asked the former defense secretary why?

The other question that my correspondent wanted to know was why the JDA survey remains classified since the nature of the AFP's weaknesses and vulnerabilities are known to anyone who bothers to read the Feliciano report and the report probes the roots and the provocations that inspired the rebellion anyway. Now how different can those two reports be?

With regard to the modernization of the AFP, my correspondent says he was informed that the US has pledged $160 million (P9 billion) to finance the PDR provided Manila coughed up the equivalent amount." Now where did the US expect us to find that kind of money? Remember the money from the sale of Fort Bonifacio was supposed to be used to modernize the AFP. According to the writer, "the proceeds of the sale of the Fort Bonifacio property was pledged by law to the AFP's modernization program but instead of being deposited in a trust fund for that purpose, they reverted to the general fund where they virtually disappeared because of a host of other national needs to be met."

No one seems to know exactly where the money went. In a hearing, a senator asked former president Fidel V. Ramos the question, to which he huffily replied, "Nandyan lang 'yan." [It's just lying around.] So where is it and how come nobody's asking how the law was circumvented?

It is rumored that the PDR deals with reforming the AFP's entire personnel, procurement and maintenance system. To make the AFP a more capable fighting force, the survey recommends that it should improve the Armed Forces' "tail-to-tooth ratio" -- the number of non-combat personnel needed to support troops in the field. The AFP's ratio of non-combat personnel to field troops is 10 to 1! The standard applied worldwide is 70:30 or 2.3 to 1. Apparently, the AFP has more Indian chiefs than warriors.

About 83 percent of the total AFP budget goes to personnel (salaries), which may explain why the Scout Rangers are griping about inadequate housing and low hazard pay, not to mention the lack of ammunition to fight the enemy.

In the Philippine Air Force (PAF), officers apparently brought up the issue that blatant favoritism and disproportionate pilot-to-aircraft ratio cause delay in promotion and training. According to the Feliciano Commission, the PAF currently has 1,018 pilots with the ranks of lieutenant to lieutenant general. By last count, the number of operational aircraft was a mere 62. The ratio of pilots to operational aircraft is a very lopsided 16:1! The ideal ratio is three pilots to every aircraft. The PAF has a lot of pilots idling their time away.

My correspondent estimates that only 15 Huey helicopters and five Bell helicopters are airworthy. Since there are more than 280 pilots assigned to them, the resulting ratio is 14:1 According to the PAF, it's not that they have excess pilots but that they lack aircraft which (here we go again) was to have been purchased with the proceeds from the sale of Fort Bonifacio.

TO BE fair, government has never had a good record for maintenance. All you need to do is look at public buildings to realize that either there is no allocation for maintenance or the budget is used elsewhere. It isn't surprising then that a key recommendation of the Philippine Defense Review addresses the poor record of equipment maintenance of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Philippine officials admit that hand-me-down helicopters from the US are constantly being cannibalized to keep the remaining ones flying. They also report that of eight C-130s in the Philippine Air Force (PAF) inventory, including two transferred by the US after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s first visit to Washington in November 2001, only two are still "mission-capable." Some weeks ago, a C-130 burst its tires upon landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and international flights were delayed for six hours. Have the tires been replaced?

As of last count, the PAF aircraft inventory added up to a total of 225, but only 28 percent or 62 are operational. Out of the remaining 163, 109 are "grounded." Nearly half of the aircraft on the PAF list serve no useful purpose.

Some of these 109 planes were sidelined because they are already obsolete, parts are no longer available for repair or because they were simply worn out due to excessive use. However, a good number of grounded planes and helicopters are the remains of cannibalized aircraft, as the Philippine Defense Review stated.

Fifty-four PAF planes and helicopters are "parked" for inspection and maintenance. The PAF claims these are "supportable" because its budget provides for the purchase of spare parts and repair. Given the fiscal crisis and the questionable whereabouts of the funds from the sale of the Fort Bonifacio military base, is there any money available? Does the PAF have any choice other than to cannibalize their aircraft again? (If the funds from the sale of Bonifacio are in the general fund, why aren't they being used for the purpose intended?)

The Feliciano Commission noted the plight of wounded soldiers who cannot immediately be airlifted to the nearest medical facility. It tells of "a macabre but true story of a dead soldier being carried around for three days by a combat patrol for lack of a helicopter to pick up the body." A visit to the south "revealed many carcasses of old vehicles lying around in depots, cannibalized and eviscerated."

After reviewing the "sad and obsolete state of AFP equipage," the Feliciano Commission revealed that: (1) the PAF needs to improve its capacity to provide close support for ground forces; (2) the Philippine Navy needs more patrol vessels and a long-range patrol aircraft; and (3) the Philippine Army needs to replace old equipage such as old radios which require dozens of heavy D-sized batteries and even the basic weapon, the antiquated M-16 rifle, which easily malfunctions because of age.

However, the Philippine Defense Review wants less emphasis on acquisitions and more resources invested in operation and maintenance. Indeed, it urges contracting out maintenance work to the more efficient private sector.

What is the AFP budget for maintenance? The Department of Budget and Management says the total proposed budget of the AFP is P46.2 billion, broken down into P36 billion for personnel (78 percent), P10.2 billion for maintenance and other operation expense (22 percent), and a token P43.1 million for capital outlay (0.1 percent). Though the budget for maintenance is insufficient, Sen. Miriam Santiago asserts that the allocation for maintenance is fair game for "conversion".

AFP procurement scandals have been exposed by Congress and the media. In our scandal-ridden society, bad news always makes headlines and good news is hidden in the inner pages of newspapers and in unread reports.

The good news is that small steps have been taken to implement the PAF modernization program. The Feliciano Commission announced that P127.4 million has been released for the Air Force modernization program. Although this is only 4.5 percent of the P2.9 billion programmed, it is a hopeful sign that modernizing the PAF has at least started.

The commission also acknowledged that P251 million was released by the National Treasury apparently for the acquisition of some new squad automatic weapons (SAWs) for the AFP. This amount is equivalent to five percent of the P5.5 billion ($97.4 million) set aside in a special account for the AFP modernization program.

Another promising sign is the proposal of the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Finance to allocate in the forthcoming budget P264.7 million for the AFP Modernization Fund. The AFP modernization program is being implemented, but very gradually. The token P43.1 million for capital outlay in the PAF budget is being supplemented by drawings from the AFP Modernization Fund.

From what country will the SAWs be procured? It is alleged that some resourceful and unscrupulous European and Asian international trade brokers and their agents approach governments of developing nations and entice them to buy their requirements from them. They try to lure their customers away from US vendors because it would be easier to pocket money from them than Americans who have to worry about their anti-bribery laws.

During the Corazon Aquino administration, the AFP bought about 10 S211 Marchetti Jet Trainers from Italy via Singapore. For any one who's curious, it would be interesting to find out if any of these are still in use, how many of them have crashed and what was their overall performance rating. Were there any re-orders? And if not, why not?

There you go. So much for the favorite widow maker speculation.



PAF: Bad weather causes crash of Punongbayan's chopper

Environmental and human factors caused the crash of a Huey helicopter in Gabaldon Nueva Ecija on April 28 that killed nine people, including former volcanologist Raymundo Punongbayan, DZMM reported Thursday.

According to the report, Philippine Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Restituto Padilla said the Huey chopper ran into unfavorable and unpredictable weather conditions over Mt. Namat in Barangay Ligaya when the crash occurred.

He said the pilot's unfamiliarity with the area also contributed to the accident.

Padilla said the Accident Investigation Board ruled out mechanical error. He said the engine was retrieved and probers concluded that it was working properly when the crash occurred.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=5657

Arroyo guards hurt in Air Force chopper crash in Pangasinan

First posted 04:55pm (Mla time) June 23, 2005
By Joel Francis Guinto
INQ7.net



A HUEY helicopter crashed in Rosales town, Pangasinan province on Thursday, injuring its passengers and crew, a spokesman for the Philippine Air Force said.

The Air Force helicopter crashed at the Rosales air strip at around 2:50 p.m. shortly after takeoff, said Lieutenant Colonel Restituto Padilla.

“Those on board suffered only slight injuries,” he said in a phone interview, adding that the passengers were members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

Padilla could not confirm how many people were on board the 12-seater UH-1H helicopter.

Reports reaching Villamor Airbase confirmed that two pilots and two crewmembers were on board.

The cause of the accident is being investigated, Padilla said.

In late April, an Air Force Huey crashed in the mountains of Gabaldon town in Nueva Ecija province, killing nine people, including former Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) chief Raymundo Punongbayan.

Air Force plane crash-lands in Bulacan

First posted 11:30am (Mla time) Jan 24, 2006
By Joel Francis Guinto, Nikko Dizon
Inquirer, INQ7.net

AN AIR Force bomber plane crash-landed in a fishpond in Paumbong town, Bulacan province, some 47 kilometers north of Manila Tuesday morning, a spokesman for the Philippine Air Force said.
One of two pilots, a certain Captain Acosta, was able to eject from his seat before the OV-10 aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Dinakot village at around 9 a.m., said Lieutenant Colonel Restituto Padilla.

The fate of the second pilot is unknown, Padilla said, adding rescuers have started scouring the plane's wreckage.

The OV-10 plane took off from Danilo Atienza Airfield in Sangley Point, Cavite province, at around 8:46 a.m. and was on its way to Clark Field in Pampanga province for military exercises, he said.

"The cause of the crash is still to be determined… A rescue helicopter was immediately dispatched by Lieutenant General Jose Reyes, the commanding general of the Philippine Air Force," Padilla said.

The OV-10 has become the main fighter plane of the Philippine Air Force
after it decommissioned its F-5 fighter jets in October 2005. It was used recently for bombing lairs of Islamic extremists in Mindanao.
http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?in...&story_id=63946
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One less Bronco...

R.I.P. to the casualties :salute:

another Bronco bites the dust, at the expense of some precious lives piloting it.

hmmmmmm... i'm just wondering if this is a wake up call in a sense that the Broncos, despite having modest upgrades recently, must be replaced in the soonest possible time similar to what Colombia is doing when it decided to replace its Broncos and Dragonflies with 25 Super Tucanos. :drunk:


p.s.: how come our media brand the OV-10 as a fighter plane? goodness! :armyroleyes:

Heard this too over the news earlier today. PAF spokesperson said that one of the pilots ejected while the other remains missing. Said the OV-10 made a force landing although indicated too it crashed sa ricefields. Medyo confusing but at least the aircraft is salvageable pa rin kasi sa ricefield lang. Weird rin kasi nag-eject raw yun isang pilot. From what I saw sa OV-10 natin wala naman ejection seat. Matigas na bakal na upuan lang like those old military jeeps. Although sa reference material ko mukhang meron ejection seat sa pix pero no such data indicated.

Question. Sa Bronco site sinabi we got Thailand's OV-10s na. Ilan ba napunta sa atin. And is Rockwell still making this or is the production ended na. Mukhang interested pa rin ang mga Kano kasi with the OV-10 judging from their combat experiences lately. Maybe, we could include the OV-10 to be one of the items for our economic growth. Hindi lang F-20 and L-159s and maybe other old American machines that are still worthy to be made kundi pati itong OV-10 gawin na rin dito. Besides being a medical tourism area maging aerospace support center man lang tayo.

comrade City Hunter: production of the OV-10 Bronco has stopped a long time ago.

the military Broncos today are slowly being replaced with more modern and more capable surface attack aircraft. The Thais replaced their OV-10s with modernized Alpha Jet As while the Colombians recently bought 25 EMB-314 Super Tucanos to replace their OV-10s and A-37Bs.

as for us, perhaps we must move on from the design of the Bronco and come up with a more modern attack plane such as a modified Cali Pinto. if we cannot do that, then we must follow suit with other countries that got planes such as Super Tucanos, Su-25 Frogfoots and Alpha Jet As (if there are still some left in German hands).

One less brave and heroic pilot :salute:

Philippine pilot sacrifices himself in deadly crash

'Heroism of the highest order'
Jan. 24, 2006. 05:53 AM

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine air force pilot who crashed to his death Tuesday north of Manila spent his final moments steering his ailing plane away from houses and ordering his co-pilot to eject to safety, officials said.

An air force spokesman called the pilot's final actions "heroism of the highest order."

The twin-engine OV-10 took off from an air base in Sangley town in Cavite province, south of Manila, and went down midway to Clark airfield, where it was to join aerial combat manoeuvres with U.S. troops, air force spokesman Lt.-Col. Restituto Padilla said.

Villagers reported seeing one of the engines emitting smoke before the aircraft plunged and exploded in a pond in Paombong town in Bulacan province, Paombong police chief Rene Casis said in a telephone interview from the crash site.

The pilot, Capt. Aniano Amatong, ordered his co-pilot to eject, then apparently struggled to steer the troubled plane away from houses, Padilla said. Amatong, 31, was found dead while co-pilot Capt. James Acosta, was rescued by villagers after parachuting.

"Amatong did not eject purposely, according to witnesses, and tried to avoid hitting populated areas," Padilla said. "This is heroism in the highest order."

TV footage showed parts of the plane jutting from the sprawling pond in Paombong, about 50 kilometres northwest of Manila.

The air force has about a dozen OV-10s. They are used for reconnaissance and bombing missions during counterinsurgency operations, mostly in the southern region of Mindanao where government troops are battling communist and Muslim guerrillas.

Air force chief Lt.-Gen. Jose Reyes ordered the grounding of the entire OV-10 fleet after the accident.

The Philippine military is among Asia's weakest and partly depends on allies like the United States to help train and arm its troops. 02:51ET 24-01-06

link

Are there no onboard fire extinguishers? Is it not possible for the Bronco to fly with only one engine?

This foreign journalist is more knowledgeable than the Inquirer reporter who called the Bronco a fighter.

Very brave sacrifice indeed. :salute:

Video footage showed the remains of the a/c as broken into pieces and in a fishpond, not on a ricefield. One can assume it was not a forced landing but apparently broke into pieces on crashing

The videos of the two networks also showed an ejection seat being retrieved from the edge of the fishpond so apparently there was a functional ejection seat.

And as I noted in the other forum, it appeared to be dark grey, totally, which is indicative of one of the two newly upgraded broncs, unlike the other broncs with a pale blue or gull grey underside color. Video also showed numbers 67 as part of the crumpled rudder which might give leads to this a/c's identity.

At any rate, too bad for the PAF. They are losing a/c even without a physical adversary, just age, attrition are chewing up its precious assets....

So this crashed plane was one of only two upgraded Broncos?

:armysad: Isa na lang ang natira...

R.I.P. Capt. Amatong

two of the bravest PAF pilots died in accidents involving the OV-10 Bronco- Mary Grace Baloyo and, now, Aniano Amatong.

their sacrifices never went in vain. they saved lives and have become the epitome of the true Filipino in the Armed Forces.


a :salute: to Capt. Aniano Amatong, PMA 1996.


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hmmmmmmmmm... i'm just curious. is the addition of ejection seats part of the upgrades done on some of our OV-10s? comrade Manokski? anyone? :dunno:


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the plan to acquire replacements for the OV-10 Bronco will come not now but in 2012. with the crash of this Bronco in Bulacan, will there be any revision in the plan of the PAF? hopefully, the replacements for the OV-10s- most probably, EMB-314 Super Tucanos- will come now and not in 2012 or else, more and more brave souls will have to lose their lives due to non-combat reasons. :nono:

back in 2002, I had the privilege of seeing a cockpit of a few OV10s at the sangley flightline, and there were ejection seats in the 2 or 3 a/c i saw; most likely these ejections were standard ( di ba ang mga fixed wig a/c naman ay talagang may ejection seat?? ) for the OV10s even before the upgrades, but the question siguro is whether the ejection seats were functioning

^ thanks jepot. that is really the question that must be answered regarding the OV-10s' ejection seats and it seems like in this case, the ejection seat worked and saved one precious life.

however, questions about the reliability of the OV-10 has begun spring out and, i think, it is time for the PAF to re-think about its procurement plans and, if possible, rush the much needed replacements for the OV-10 and other "flying coffins" (sorry, guys. i just can't think of a politically correct term) in the Air Force before we lose more brave pilots to non-combat causes.

again, just like what i said earlier, the EMB-314 Super Tucanos would be the best replacement for the OV-10 Broncos of the Philippine Air Force.

there is no doubt that the seats were functioning since one pilot did eject and escaped unhurt. apparently Capt. Amatong deliberately stayed behind in an effort to steer the aircraft away from a group of houses in its apparent trajectory, whose extremely grateful residents were shown on ANC. I don't know about the PAF, but in the USAF when a two-place a/c experiences difficulties the less experienced pilot is obliged to eject (for humanitarian as well as technical reasons because then you have a lighter a/c) while the other remains at the controls and attempts to recover the a/c.

according to witnesses there is no doubt that the a/c would have plowed into several homes and killed many including sleeping children. there is no doubt then that Capt. Amatong is a hero.

Capt. Amatong was a graduate of the PMA, class of 1996. kudos that such an institution can produce professionals of his caliber.

image of the crashed OV-10 from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, courtesy of the Agence France Presse.

more images, courtesy of Yahoo News:


-- The wreckage of a U.S.-made Philippine military plane is seen in a fish pond after it crashed in Bulacan, north of Manila January 24, 2006. The assault plane went down during an exercise with the U.S air force, killing one of the two pilots, a Philippine Air Force spokesman said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Philippine Air Force/Sgt. Rey Bruna/Handout


-- The wreckage of a U.S.-made assault plane is seen in a fish pond after it crashed in Bulacan, north of Manila January 24, 2006. The Philippine military plane went down during an exercise with the U.S air force, killing one of the two pilots, a Philippine Air Force spokesman said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Philippine Air Force/Sgt. Rey Bruna/Handout


-- Philippine rescue team cover Captain James Acosta (2nd L) with a blanket after he survives a plane crash in Bulacan, north of Manila January 24, 2006. The Philippine military plane went down in a fish pond during an exercise with the U.S air force north of Manila, killing one of the two pilots, a Philippine Air Force spokesman said Tuesday. REUTERS/Philippine Air Force/Sgt. Rey Bruna/Handout


-- In this photo released by the Philippine Air Force Capt. James Acosta, second from right, is helped to a waiting ambulance at Villamor Air Base in Manila after being rescued by villagers when their attack plane OV-10 Bronco crashed at Paombong, Bulacan province, just north of Manila, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, killing one of its pilots. The twin-engine plane was to take part in aerial combat maneuvers with U.S. troops for the upcoming joint military exercises, but crashed midway through its flight. (AP Photo/Philippine Air Force, SSgt. Rey Bruna, HO)

^ based on the images above, it seems that the crashed Bronco cannot be recovered anymore. what we now have to do is to wait for the official confirmation as to the cause of the crash of this OV-10.

again, another loss to the PAF, both in physical assets and in precious brave lives.

The news I got was a bit earlier in the day and it seemed the PAF spokesperson knew little too save that the OV10 crashed and a pilot ejected safely. Sayang, both good pilot and aircraft were lost today.

From what I know, such twin engined aircrafts could fly with one engine alone. But it'll be harder to control them and tax the remaining engine more. With two engines, not only could it perform better and faster but also carry more loads. I wonder if our PAF gets to train in ejection seats. And what does the OV10 come equipped with. Considering the OV10's design, it was able to safely steer itself away from doing further harm. The pilot must've been overwhelmed by the damage done thus causing such a tragic crash. This is one modernization aspect which our PAF should also look into. Like one of those ejection seats made in Russia that could be fitted as aftermarket accessories.

this is what wikipedia is saying about the OV-10's problems: