A small plane crashed into the waters off El Nido, Palawan on Friday afternoon, aviation authorities said.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the plane fell near El Nido's Tinaguiban Village around 2:18 p.m..

It was identified as a Cessna 206 aircraft with registry number RP-C979, owned by a private aviation company. The plane was transporting around 25 boxes of live fish from Palawan's San Vicente Airport to Sangley Airport in Cavite Province.

Coast Guard personnel rescued the plane's two pilots, a man and a woman, near Duli Beach around 3:50 p.m. They were brought to the El Nido Coast Guard station for further assistance.

According to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio, the plane's engine suddenly shut off mid-flight.

"Nawalan ng power yung makina, yung engine kaya nagkaroon ng emergency ditching doon sa shoreline," he said.

Authorities are currently trying to salvage the aircraft. The CAAP's Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board had also sent a team to El Nido to investigate the incident.

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