Robredo knew about use of substandard aviation fuel

Manila: The late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo who died with two pilots in a plane crash on Masbate Bay in central Philippines last Saturday, was briefed about companies using substandard aviation fuel for chartered planes, a malpractice that the aviation industry’s regulating body has allegedly tolerated, a local paper said.

It added that the malpractice has been blamed for a spate of fatal crashes suffered by light planes in the past.

Robredo, a board member of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), was briefed about this malpractice and other alleged anomalies in the CAAP three days before he died, a CAAP insider told the Philippine Star.

“Secretary Robredo promised to raise the issue during CAAP board meetings to institute reforms in the agency,” added the source that was not identified.

Jet A1 aviation gas is CAAP’s prescribed fuel for twin-engine planes. But some companies that charter planes have been diluting it with motor gasoline fuels or “mogas,” said the source, adding, “The use of substandard gas can trigger fuel starvation that result in engine trouble.”

This early, it has been eyed as one of the cause of the plane crash that killed Robredo and pilot Jessup Bahinting, owner of Aviatour Air and the ill-fated Piper Seneca plane that crashed into Masbate Bay last Saturday. Also killed was Nepalese pilot trainee Kshsitz Chand.

At the same time, Cesar Lucero, vice president of CAAP Employees Union, also told the Star about CAAP’s alleged lenient probe on erring aviation companies.

“These supposed thorough investigations were conducted so many times in the past but aviation firms still maintain a cavalier attitude in maintaining their light planes,” Lucero said.

“There should be stiffer penalties against these aviation firms. They (critics) should look into the results and recommendations of past investigations into previous air crashes and check if CAAP accident investigators did not look the other way on unsafe practices of aviation firms,” Lucero said.

Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas asked fishermen who ply Masbate Bay to help divers get the right engine of the Piper Seneca Class 1 plane that failed and caused the crash on Saturday, so that CAAP could start its investigation.

He also called for tight security on the recovered wreckage of the ill-fated plane at the Masbate airport.

CAAP Director General William Hotchkiss denied allegations that CAAP didn’t conduct regular checking and inspection on flying schools nationwide, adding that CAAP continuously conducts annual inspection on all planes and all pilots every six months.

The CAAP also formed a composite team to serve as the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board, headed by Captain Amado Soliman. AAIIB members were Captain Lorenzo Gumba and Reyner Bucalinao.

A full scale audit will be done to determine if Aviatour will still be allowed to operate after the death of its CEO and founder, Jessup Bahinting, said Hotchkiss.

But Aviatour’s managers said the investigation and full scale audit should include assessment of a capable person who can continue running the company.

CAAP issued a suspension order on Aviatour’s operations. But Aviatour had voluntarily grounded its fleet last Sunday, a day after the tragic plane crash.

Prior to CAAP’s full-scale investigation, experts have already mentioned several violations that could have caused the air tragedy.

They said the pilot tried to glide safely towards the runway, quite late, at 150 feet; he communicated with the control tower in Masbate also quite late, at 150 feet; he failed to resort to belly landing to float the plane and allow passengers to get out safely. They also questioned why his body was found on the seat that was supposed to be used by a co-pilot and why he used a pilot trainee during a chartered flight.

Aviatour’s Piper Seneca had no flight data recorder (black box) which could help investigators determine the cause of a plane crash; the aircraft had no emergency location transporter, which could have assisted the retrieval operation after the plane crash, experts said.

“Avaitour has a lot of explaining to do,” said Cebu City Congressman Tomas Osmeña.

Aviatour was suspended early this year after its Cessna 172 crashed one kilometre from the airport of Camiguin, in central Philippines, killing two people (a Filipino pilot and Norwegian passenger Raquel Strande) and injuring three other Norwegian nationals last March 4.

CAAP also imposed suspension on Aviatour following complaints from 80 Indonesian students, done through the Indonesian embassy, that Aviatour had planes only for 40 students. In response, CAAP gave Aviatour an extension until August 29 to allow the 40 Indonesian students to finish their course.