ZAMBOANGA CITY—Three Air Force personnel, including a helicopter pilot with the rank of captain, were killed and another one wounded when a Vietnam war vintage UH-1H “Huey” helicopter crashed in a remote village of the island-province of Sulu while attempting an emergency landing during a resupply mission on Saturday morning.

Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang of the Western Mindanao Command said the ill-fated helicopter, with tail number 606, took off from Camp Bautista in Jolo at about 6:56 a.m.

Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena, Air Force chief, identified the fatalities as helicopter pilot Capt. Omar Antepuesto, SSgt. Maximo Orquina and A1C Rannie Solis. Rabena said an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the crash; he assured all necessary assistance will be extended to the victim’s families.

The helicopter lost power while its pilots were trying to bring it back to the ground.

“The aircraft hit hard on the ground and rolled down a hill. Initial information gathered from the accident site revealed that the aircraft was a total wreck and there were three aircrew fatalities and one injured,” Cabangbang said.

The crash occurred while the ill-fated craft and another helicopter, with tail number 794, were on their second sortie from Camp General Teodulfo Baustista in Jolo, the capital town of Sulu, to Camp Balabad in Patikul municipality.

He said the bodies of the dead airmen were retrieved and the wounded taken to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Trauma Center, also in Jolo.

The Huey is the Philippine Air Force’s workhorse and is used extensively in troop deployment, resupply and disaster operations.

Cabangbang said the accident took place near Camp Balabad, barangay Panglayahan, Patikul, Sulu.

(Bong Garcia Jr.)

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