CAAP: Chopper did not provide flight plan

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MANILA — The Civil Aviation Authorities of the Philippines (CAAP) said the pilot of the helicopter that carried billionaire and hotel owner  Archimedes “Archie” King did not provide a flight plan before taking off from Puerto Galera.

Capt. Felicisimo Taborlupa Jr. failed to inform authorities about their return trip to Manila.

“Regulations require pilots to provide the CAAP a flight plan so that it can monitor its movement. In cases of emergency, the CAAP will know where to look,” CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio yesterday said.

Apolonio said the flight plan should have allowed them to monitor the helicopter and advise them of the weather disturbances.

“If they had submitted a flight plan, the CAAP would have advised the pilot to abort the flight,” Apolonio said.

Taburlopa  was flying the Augusta 109E with Registry No. RP-C2726when it crashed in a forested area in Barangay (village) Pinagkaisahan in Cuenca town around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday.

Following the thick fog and the heavy rains, the helicopter nose-dived in the forested area killing Taborlupa and leaving King seriously injured.

King, who was seated beside the pilot when the accident happened, later died of severe wounds and fractures at a hospital in Cuenca.

The rest of the passengers, King’s wife, Angeles, Inquirer Lifestyle columnist Anton San Diego, bag designer Tina Maristela-Ocampo and her husband, Ricco Ocampo, and couple Christopher and Patricia Chilip, who were seated at the back, meanwhile, survived the accident.