Search for missing C-130, crewmen continues for 3rd day

MANILA , Philippines – Authorities continued the search and retrieval operations for the missing C-130 aircraft and its crewmembers for the third day, as investigators remain clueless on the cause of the plane crash. QTV's Balitanghali reported that rescue divers continued their search and retrieval operations for the missing C-130 aircraft and its crewmen despite strong currents that are hampering their operations. Rescuers used small naval boats with sonar underwater radars to detect the plane’s fragments and the victims’ body parts. Earlier in the day, rescuers have abandoned hopes of finding survivors as efforts have refocused on recovering body parts of victims. The report also said the task force overseeing the search and retrieval operations transferred its command center from Bucana village near the crash site to the headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard at the Sta. Ana Wharf. This is to ensure better security and a wider space to conduct an inventory of recovered human parts and plane debris, the report said. Lack of search and rescue facilities also prompted the Air Force to ask from the United States more advanced sonar detectors to fast-track arrangements in acquisition of the plane. Also, authorities are looking into reports that the aircraft had eleven passengers instead of nine. The report said that the Air Transportation Office will verify the reports by recovering radio transmissions between the Davao International Airport and the C-130 plane before it crashed. The C-130 Hercules cargo airplane crashed into the Davao Gulf on Monday evening. The ill-fated aircraft was supposed to pick up members of the Presidential Security Group in Iloilo but eventually lost contact with the command center minutes after it took off at the Davao City International Airport. Authorities said the plane crash-landed about 2.5 nautical miles southeast of Davao City and three nautical miles southwest of the Island Garden City of Samal. Authorities earlier identified the plane's pilot as Maj. Manuel A. Zambrano and his co-pilot as Capt. Adrian de Dios. The crew members were Technical Sergeant Lobregas Constantino, and Staff Sergeants John Ariola, Gerry Denioso, Felix Patraica, Pedronelo Fernandez, Patricio Romeo Gaor, and Aldrin Illustrisimo. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV