Philippine navy helicopter crash kills 2 pilots

The Philippine Navy said Thursday that one of its training helicopters crashed outside the capital Manila, killing two pilots on board.

The two-seat Robinson R22 helicopter went down early in the morning near a public market in Cavite City. Authorities did not report any injuries to people on the ground. 

The cause of the crash was not immediately known but an investigation was underway, said Commodore John Percie Alcos, a navy spokesman. 

The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off for a training exercise from the military’s Sangley Airport, Alcos said in a statement. The two pilots were rushed to a nearby hospital but announced dead on arrival, he said.

The personnel on board have been identified as a 36-year-old male captain and his 27-year-old female co-pilot, both assigned to the Naval Air Wing.

“We are withholding the names of the two navy pilots while we inform their families. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the bereaved loved ones. All necessary support will be extended to them,” he said

Alcos promised a “thorough investigation” to determine the cause of the crash.

“Philippine Navy aircrafts undergo regular inspection and maintenance to ensure airworthiness. Nevertheless, no stone will be left unturned as we endeavor to prevent this kind of accident from happening again,” he said. 

Thursday’s incident was the latest in a series of helicopter crashes in the Philippine military and police fleets dating to early 2020 – most of them resulting in fatalities.

In March 2023, a medical helicopter carrying five people crashed in waters off Palawan island in the western Philippines. All five passengers’ bodies were later retrieved. 

Two months earlier two air force pilots died when their plane crashed during a training flight in the northern Philippines

In June 2021, a newly acquired Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a night-training flight, killing all six onboard.