C-130 reported missing, debris found in water shoreline in Davao City

Ma. Lourdes “Miami” Ebilane
August 26, 2008
Story: C-130 reported missing, debris found in water shoreline in Davao City

A C-130 of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) with tail number 4593 was reportedly missing after its take off from Davao City International Airport last August 25, 2008, Monday at around 8:53 pm.

The debris of the said aircraft was found in the shoreline of Davao Gulf in the vicinity of Barangay Lapu-Lapu, Agdao District, Davao City was believed to be washed ashore. The first information was relayed by their Air Force Commander in Davao City to the Air Force office in Villamor Airbase in Taguig City at around 11:15 am of August 26, 2008, Tuesday.

The Davao Gulf is in between Davao City and Samal Island of Davao del Norte.

The debris that was found are military identification card of a crew member on board the plane, boots, pilot books as well as a wheel and the wheel strut of the plane. A wheel strut supports the wheels when it lands. Also seen, several body parts such as intestine, parts of a skull and portions of skin were also seen floating.

They also saw approach plates, a paper that has flight information of the route of the plane.

There were only nine passengers in the C-130 namely, Major Manuel Zambrano, Pilot; Captain Adrian de Dios, co-pilot; Technical Sgt. Constantino Enrique Lobrigas, flight engineer; Staff Sgt. John Areola, student flight engineer, Staff Sgt. Gary Dinoso, Crew Chief; Staff Sgt. Felix Pedro Patriarca, flight mechanic; Staff Sgt. Petronilo Fernandez, Load master; Staff Sgt. Patricio Claur, Jr., Load master and Staff Sgt. Aldrin Illustrismo, student load master.

The C-130 is about to go to Iloilo International Airport which is located in Iloilo City to fetched about 80 members of Presidential Security Guard (PSG) who are all bound to Manila.

The C-130 is belonged to 220th Airlift Wing. Theire headquarters is at Benito Ebuen Airbase, Mactan Island, Cebu.

The C-130 had its take off from Davao City International Airport at around 8:50 pm. After one minute of take off, the pilot asked the air traffic controller if he can make a left turn as part of their flight airway.

Col. Roy Deveraturda, Chief of Operations of PAF explained that it is a standard operating procedure for a pilot to ask the air traffic controller if he can turn left already to be sure that the plane will not collide with another plane or possible mountain in the area, or else the air traffic controller will reprimand the pilot for not asking. Then at around 8:53 pm, the air traffic controller already lost contact with the C-130.

The pilot has to asked if he can already turn left be cause he might bumped in Mt. Apo, also in Davao.

The C-130 is probably in 3,000 feet of climbing altitude already before it lost contact or communication with the Air Traffic Controller. It was believed that it fell not far from Davao City Airport or within the 20-mile radius.

The Air traffic controller did not received any distress report from the pilot. PAF Major General Pedrito Cadungog said if there are no distress report from the pilot it would mean that the plane still has no problems.

In fact, the plane has undergone maintenance check only last August 15, 2008. One of its four engine was restored and the auxiliary power unit. Cadungog explained that the C-130 can still fly even if it has one engine only.
Also, before heading towards Davao, the C-130 already fled from Manila to Laoag then back to Manila last August 25. The flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes back and forth. According to Major Donald Madarang who used the same C-130 with tail number 4593 to Laoag, he did not see any problems with the C-130.

“My flight was normal, I never encountered problems when I used it before I turned it over to Maj. Zambrano,” Madarang said.

The C-130 first left Manila at around 10:30 am and was able to go back in Manila at around 1:00 pm of August 25.

Then on the same date, the C-130 fly again around 3:26 pm bound to Fort Magsaysay to fetched some members of Scout Ranger bound to Davao City. It arrived Fort Magsaysay at around 3:55 pm then left the Fort Magsaysay at 5:00 pm. Then arrived Davao City at 7:24 pm.

The said C-130 was acquired last 1983 from US Air Force, but it was manufactured on year 1971. “Though it (C-130) is 37 years old already, this is not a factor for us to say that the C-130 is already olf to fly. In fact it still very useful and reliable one,” Cadungog said.

Because of what happened, the PAF left with only one in full mission capable C-130, four others are under maintenance in Mactan Island.

The full mission capable C-130 is now grounded for flying, “It is an SOP for us to keep the other plane on ground to re-check its engine and other parts of the plane,” Cadungog added.

Four factors are now being considered by the PAF on what happened to their C-130. It could be electrical failure, mechanical failure, human error or weather situation in the area. Though they are not ruling it out that the C-130 could also exploded in the air before it crashed.

To those who are wondering if the C-130 can fly even in night, Cadungog said that the C-130 can fly any time of the day and night. There will be no problem on that.

The investigating team of the PAF, about 16 of them, to be headed by Major General Jovito Gammad already went to Davao City to investigate what happened in their plane. They left Manila at around 4:00 pm.

Meanwhile, the PAF recorded that there first accident was last December 13, 1993, when a C-130 bumped into the hill in Naga City in Bicol Region. The cause of the accident for that C-130 is the weather situation in Bicol. There was typhoon during that time.

The use of C-130 is to transport troops from one place to another and to deliver goods to the troops who are in mission and to deliver relief goods on affected areas of any kind of disasters.