Philippines

MH370 DECODED
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Philippines and Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Following the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Saturday, 8 March 2014 Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin[1] of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ARF) ordered the dispatch of naval vessels BRP Del Pilar (PF 15), BRP Jacinto (PS 35), and BRP Mabini (PS 36), and a surveillance plane to conduct in the West Philippine Sea and the sealanes of Palawan.[2]

The Philippine Star reported on 10 march 2014 that "To help in the search for the missing plane, Navy patrol vessels BRP Apolinario Mabini, recent acquisition BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Emilio Aguinaldo were deployed in the West Philippine Sea, which China claims part of its sovereignty."[3]

The surveillance plane that searched on Saturday and Sunday was a Philippine Air Force Fokker F-27. It was replaced by a navy Norman Britten Islander on Monday. A Philippine Air Force (PAF) Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" was deployed on Tuesday. Some of the pilots and crew manning the Philippine Navy's newly acquired AgustaWestland AW109 "Power" helicopters were still undergoing training while assisting in the international search for MH370.[4].

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reportedly said that "Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members did not enter Philippine airspace".[2]


PAL Aviation School

The Pilot-in-Command of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which went missing on Saturday, 8 March 2014 trained at the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Aviation School in Pasay City in 1980-81.

The PAL Aviation School was the first pilot training school in Asia.

Malaysia Airlines sent many trainees to the Philippines.




MH370 Wreckage Not in Philippines

In October 2015 it was reported that aircraft wreckage, possibly MH370, had been found on a southern Philippines island.

Philippine authorities investigated and dismissed the report.

The incident is covered in an article Aircraft Wreckage on Sugbai Island.


A report claiming that an aircraft wreckage with the Malaysian flag painted on it was found on a southern Philippines island was made at the Sandakan police station, in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on Saturday 10 October 2105.
The[5]

In late 2015 Philippine police received a report from a Jamil Omar that "his teenage nephew had found aircraft wreckage, with the Malaysian flag painted on its side, crashed on Sugbay Island in Tawi Tawi." Mr Omar's nephew, who was hunting for birds with his friends at the time, also reported that inside the wreckage there were human bones, including a skeleton in the pilot's chair with the seatbelt still fastened.[6]

Despite the report appearing to have little credibility, some media in Britain, the US, Singapore and elsewhere picked it up, saying wreckage of a plane had been found on the island and it could be from MH370.

...

Tawi-Tawi governor Nurbert Sahali also released a statement saying no wreckage had been found.[7]



References

  1. Source: Malaysia Airlines thanks Philippines for help in sea search , The Philippine Star, 10 March 2014
  2. 2.0 2.1 Source: PH joins SE Asia search for Malaysian plane Rappler, 8 March 2014
  3. Source: AFP sets aside sea row with China for plane search, The Philippine Star, 10 March 2014
  4. Source: Philippine Navy crew in Malaysian jet search still training, The Philippine Star, 14 March 2014
  5. Source: Sabah police gets report claiming plane wreck with Malaysian flag found on Philippine island The Straits Times, (updated 19 January 2016)
  6. Source: Plane wreck in Philippines 'containing skeleton' not MH370, authorities say , Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 2015
  7. Source: No MH370 wreckage found: Philippines SBS News, 13 October 2015