TACLOBAN CITY — A Black Hawk helicopter of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) conducting post-disaster assessment operations in Southern Leyte made a precautionary landing in a rice field in Barangay Panian, Saint Bernard town, on Wednesday, November 5, after experiencing engine trouble.
According to a report from the Police Regional Office 8 based in Palo, Leyte, personnel from the Saint Bernard Municipal Police Station immediately responded to assist the crew of the PAF helicopter, which bore body number 753, at around 12:30 p.m.
In a statement, the PAF said the aircraft encountered fluctuating temperature readings in one of its engines, prompting the pilots to execute an emergency landing as a safety measure.
“All crew and passengers are safe,” the PAF assured, adding that a maintenance and investigation team has been dispatched to inspect the aircraft and address its mechanical issues.
The helicopter was in Southern Leyte as part of the military’s rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) following the devastation left by Typhoon Tino, which hit the province earlier in the week.
The incident occurred a day after the PAF confirmed the loss of six airmen in a Super Huey helicopter crash in Agusan del Sur during humanitarian and disaster response operations related to the same typhoon.
(RONALD O. REYES)
