EDC names 4 fatalities in plane crash; capt was 'experienced pilot'

The Energy Development Corporation has named the 2 pilots and 2 consultants who were killed in a plane crash near the crater of Mayon Volcano over the weekend.

• Passengers of crashed Cessna on Mayon Volcano all dead: mayor

Captain Rufino James Crisostomo Jr., Joel G. Martin, Simon Chipperfield, and Karthi Santhanam were all confirmed killed after the Cessna 340 plane they were on crashed on the west side slope of the volcano.

"We mourn the confirmed passing of our dear colleagues, pilot Captain Rufino James Crisostomo Jr., Joel G. Martin, Simon Chipperfield, and Karthi Santhanam, who were all aboard the Aircraft RPC-2080 that was reported missing early Saturday morning shortly after taking off from the Bicol International Airport," Richard Tantoco, president and chief operating officer of EDC, said in a statement.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go to their families and friends during this difficult time."

Atty. Allan Barcena, Energy Development Corporation spokesperson, said Captain Crisostomo was an in-house pilot of the company, and that the Cessna 340 was a company plane.

"Capt. James Crisostomo has been with the company for a long time. He is a very experienced pilot. In fact during the pandemic when we don't have much travel, he had a training in the US as part of his requirement as a pilot," he said in a TeleRadyo interview.

Martin, on the other hand, was a crew of the Cessna plane "and helps Captain James in all the trips," Barcena said.

The 2 Australians were geothermal engineers and technical consultants of EDC who had just visited a project site in Bicol as part of their work.

The spokesman said EDC is hoping to airlift the bodies from the crash site and bring them to a hospital in Legazpi City within the day. He said reaching the crash site had been a challenge for the rescue and retrieval team.

"The crash site is not a flat terrain, it's a slope. Medyo matarik siya at may mga gullies. In fact our rescue team had a dificult time ascending and reaching the area not just because of the terrain but the weather. There is also Alert level 2 in Mayon. So it is a challenge," he said.

Barcena said he is awaiting word from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on the possible cause of the crash.

He said EDC personnel usually avail of commercial flights for trips out of town and only use the Cessna for "convenience and emergencies."

The Cessna 340 plane went missing on Saturday morning, just 3 minutes after taking off from the Bicol International Airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Tuesday confirmed that the wreckage found near Mayon Volcano's crater was the Cessna 340 plane that went missing in Bicol over the weekend.

• CAAP confirms Mayon wreckage is missing Cessna plane

Editor’s Note: The thumbnail of the YouTube upload of this video report on Feb. 23, 2023 used an image of an aircraft not related to the incident. The video has been taken down from the YouTube page of ABS-CBN News. We apologize for the error.