Last week, a C130 Hurcules aircraft crashed last week near Davao. So far, they haven’t found it. What they know is that the aircraft took off from Davao International Airport a couple of hours after nightfall, in the rain – a heavy thunderstorm. In less than 10 minutes, the plane was gone, never to be heard of again. They have been searching for it ever since, but have not found the crash site.
It is virtually certain that the plane crashed into the Gulf of Davao, most likely near to Samal Island, but nothing can be certain yet. They feel that they have narrowed down the crash area because of the places where debris from the plane (including body parts of the people who were aboard the plane) have been found. However, there is no concrete evidence of where the plane is yet. A few fishermen claim to have seen the plane hit the water, some of them say that the plane was struck by lightning before crashing, but that is not confirmed. Nine Philippine Military people were aboard the doomed plane, all of which are presumed dead.
Yesterday, a US Navy Ship arrived in the Davao Gulf, the USNS John McDonnell. The ship is here to assist the Philippine government in finding the crashed plane. The US ship is equipped with more modern sonar capability than is available here in the Philippines.
Another problem that is hindering the effort to find the crash is that the Davao International Airport has no radar. Because of this, they had no fix on where the plane was when it disappeared.
I don’t think that the Philippine Government is claiming this officially, but I heard one military person on the TV News saying that the United States has some blame in this accident, because they gave the C130 to the Philippine military, and the plane must have had some defect to cause the crash. The problem with that, though, is that the US gave the plane to the Philippine government in the 1980’s! Now, I think it would be more likely that the US had no blame in this incident, rather maybe a maintenance problem, pilot error, or most likely weather. I found it frankly insulting to have somebody blame the US for having given the plane.
I certainly hope that the crash is found, and that the bodies of those who were killed can be recovered.
Gosh, I hadn't heard of this on any news programmes. My thoughts go out to the families of those on board.
Yes, I can imagine that there will be frankly stupid speculation that any fault on the plane could be attributed to the original owner; this is clearly an intellectually lacking argument for obvious reason. What worries me in your story, Bob, is that Davao airport has no radar????????? It's 2008 for goodness sake; it's probably possible to pick up a second hand radar for 500 usd these days. Might not be the latest and greatest technology, but better than noen one might have thought. What on earth is going on there?
Hi Bob – Well, as you now, "finger-pointing" is the number one spectator sport there (with a rapid-fire session of "the blame game" coming in a close second). 🙄
Having spent time in C-130s as "human cargo" (freezing my tail off in the canvas-webbed cargo sling-rigged troop seats), I've never has a bad experience in flight (including during bad weather, lightning strikes, and other "situations"). Even their slow speed, as compared to jet-powered conveyances, was a blessing when the need for sleep overrode every other concern. 😉
Maintenance is the key. You can't split bamboo with a bolo unless you keep it sharp. I wonder if some budget funds earmarked for maintenance ever made it to their destination? ❓
I should add that training is as important as maintenance – you'll split more than bamboo with a sharp bolo if you don't know how to use it! 😆
Maayong buntag Bob
I had heard that the AFP are starting to nick name the Philippine military planes as “widow makers”. I had not heard they were trying to blame the US for the crash. With troops selling there weapons to the NPA we can just imagine the maintenance on the aircraft
🙄
Hi Bob,
I'm back from 2 week business trip to Canada. Very enjoyable. NO RADAR??? How can this be given it is an "International Airport". I have landed there in a passenger jet. Surely this can't be right? Unless the traffic is so infrequent that there are big enough gaps between movements that there is inbuild safety? That's fine, but what about situations like this where it is useful to be able to track movements and be able to advise planes in difficulty? Bizarre.
Hi jim hannah – I have been surprised that there has not been a lot of press coverage on the C130 crash, I don't know why.
Yes, it is sad that DIA does not have radar. Yesterday, on TV they were having live coverage of the City Council meeting, and the topic was really being discussed, with Davao City Councilors pleading with the national government and the ATO (Air Transportation Office) to install radar at the airport.
Hi Paul – Yes, I suspect poor maintenance as the root of the problem, but only time will tell.
Hi Larry – You are right on the "widow maker" nickname, I've heard that too. Just to show you how bad it is, I understand that the Philippine Air Force has 4 more C130's, but only one is airworthy. The other three are being cannibalized for spare parts to keep one flying. Sad.
Hi AussieLee – Glad that you enjoyed your trip!
Yes, it is quite sad on the radar situation. Believe me, it is right, the City Council yesterday was having a huge debate about this. I am not 100% certain, but I believe that there are around 20 inbound flights per day, and 20 flights departing per day, but that is just my estimate. I do believe that radar is an important safety issue.
Bob:
The maintenance and weather issue were most likely the causes of the crash… Maintenance here can be spotty at times. At least when you fly PAL commercially, you can be reasonably assured of safety, since the maintenance is performed by Lufthansa and no shortcuts taken. As to the radar, it is probably a question of funding. The last quote I saw for that type radar was in the eight figures… The government probably puts most resources at the busier airports. They pick and choose from necessity. (Though I think Davao is probably overdue for one, given the military activity in Mindanao.)
Hi John Miele – Good morning, sir! Yes, I think that the radar problem totally comes down to funds. That should really be included in the cost of building the facility, and be present from the first flight, in my opinion.
Bob
The key word is airworthy. In the US we have many FAA restrictions with pats that need to be replaced every so many hours if they are worn or not. In the Philippines you will see files stacked in the hall ways of the court house so I can only imagine how the military is ran.
🙄
Hi Larry – You are coming through loud and clear! I can't disagree either!
Hi Bob
What a tragedy, Was thinking the other day how devistating it must be for the families. It is bad enough to loose a family member but to…. oh no the bits they picked up…. how horrible.
One can only hope that this highlights the lack of equipement etc and that now something gets done. At least those lives wont be lost for nothing.
Hi Bob
I believe the C-130 had a maintenance check in the middle of last month. It was on its way to Iloilo to pick up the Presidential security guards. I remember several years ago a chinook helicopter crashed off of Negros and killed 11 or so U.S. servicemen. This helicopter costs about $47 million. A representative from Negros said look at this equipment they are giving us and how bad the quality it is. This just shows the irrational thinking of some people in the Philippines (it happens everywhere and especially in the U.S.) The Philippines has only 1 C-130 plane left. I think where you need to look is a very low AFP budget who has to deal with the NPA and the MILF.
One of the most durable heavy lifters ever designed ! Built like at things age will deteriorate it. C-130 is a heavy lifter with fantastic short field performance & great low speed high angle of attack flight capabilites. Lightning will not take a plane down, it simply passes thru/around it since it is not grounded. being a turbine-prop unless it was sucking a horendous amont of rain water thru the turbines and he had the auto igniters on the engines would not quit. Possibility his attitute indicator gyro failed , which is the main instrument used for instrument flight. Even maintanance on a multi(4) engine usually won't cause it to crash.
Bob,
When most people comment about NO RADAR they are likely referring to local radar. Local radar operates in a smaller area and at lower altitudes.
I am an ex Air Traffic Controller and am sure from the brief research I've done that the country has an enroute type of radar system that wouldn't likely be able to track any planes at the lower altitudes of a departing aircraft.
With modern landing systems it is quite safe to manually control traffic in a safe and expeditious manner. I did it at an airport that had traffic volumes that exceeded the volumes you indicated go on in Davao.
Manual control goes on in the U.S., and around the world every day at many places. Even from places designated as an International Airport.
There is a misconception about what constitutes an “International Airport”. That does not speak to the size or scope of the field or the traffic but merely denotes an airport that has customs and immigration capability.
Lightening, in and of itself, is of no particular safety concern to an airborne aircraft with the possible exception of a fuel leak being ignited which is quite rare.
For the record, a news article that I read said this aircraft had JUST had an engine changed. In my personal opinion that is as, or more, likely to have contributed to the cause of the accident as any of the things mentioned so far.
It is unfortunate that the country is not able to muster the resources to maintain the other three C130's, as you mentioned.
Hope that adds some clarity to the discussion and reduces some of the unnecessary alarm.
Hi carolynn – Yes, it's a sad story, no doubt.
Hi Neil – I believe that when they performed maintenance last month, they changed one of the engines. I wonder if that was a used one from one of those grounded C130's?
Hi brian – Thanks for sharing your expertise. It's obvious that you know a little about these birds!
Hi R L Graham – Interesting about the radar. As a former air traffic controller, you certainly know a lot more about this than I do. I just saw the Davao City Council session on TV, and they said that there was "no radar" at the airport. Thanks for sharing what you know.
hi bob,
did you know that davao international airport ATC is much advanced than that of NAIA? as a matter of fact ICAO has it on category 1 airport
source: http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2006/10057-Phil…
as a side note, as usual our corrupt military will start pointing fingers to anyone who is invovle in this accident they will even point their fingers to the original source of the plane but never ever they point their finger to their own official who suck the military fund dry.
how i truelly wish our top brass will be sent to iraq's front line! and hopefully that they will be shot with ak47 a hundred times or even captured and dismembered!
Hi dans – Well, don't be too hard on the AFP, after all they are mostly just following what the politicians tell them to do, and give them money for. I personally wouldn't wish them the kinds of things that you mentioned. It would certainly seem that the Philippine Government needs to re-align it's focuses, get it's priorities in order, and start moving forward.
I have been flying c130, as a passenger, in greenland under severe weater conditions, planes from us-airforce and canadian-airforce, and allways felt safe. To me it is the most safe airplane no matter the use.
Here we have a saying that when you point fingers at others three will point back at yourself
hi bob,
i agree that philippine government must re-align their focus by starting sacking the corrupt military officials. the reason i despise our military officials is because, they are sending our loyal troops to harms way and not providing them sufficient equipement needed to fight the enemy, instead, they are all getting fat sitting in their cozy offices and drinking the best wine and alcohol and don't forget their photo oppurtunity in their nice shiney suit in front of the cameras and our soldiers who are in the frontline wears nothing but an old combat shoes and clothes , this alone proves the level of their corruption. mind you, a lot of our military officials never set foot in a battle, it is really sad to read in a newspaper that our soldier is running out of munitions in the middle of battle, while our military officials cannot be found because they are all in vacation sipping a cold beer and relaxing somewhere in rio de janeiro. did you know our soldier in the frontline are only given a less than 200 pesos a day for their "risk pay"? and still our soldier do their job chasing the enemy, while our fat military officials are having thousand more pesos for their pay increase?
that is the truth that is hard to swallow..
Hi Preben Christensen – I like that saying! I'll have to remember it! Thanks for your comment.
Hi dans – Let's all hope that the system improves over time! 😯
Hi Bob
Does the Philippines Govenrment have an FAA and if so what do they do?
Hi Dan Mihaliak – The equivalent of the FAA here is called the ATO (Air Transportation Office). Just like in the USA, they have oversight over the airlines and such.
Bob
long time reader, first time to write. We've had a hurricane here and I haven't been able to read your blog for about a week, so a late response. Sounds like pilot error to me taking off in a thunderstorm. I am retired USAF with 8000 flying hours on the C-130 Hercules. By looking at the photo in your article, that looks like a C-130B. Its a very old model I think the last being produced in 1961-1962. So this plane is at least 46 years old! I loved that aircraft and as long as it is properly maintained, will fly forever. Air Forces around the world, including the USAF, are buying brand new C-130s today. This is not the first time the Philippines has blamed the US for defective aircraft. Several years ago, one of their pilots crashed and destoryed a brand new MD-500 attack helicopter that had just been delivered. Apparently, there is no such thing as pilot error in the PAF!
Hi Tim – Well, thanks for finally commenting! I've been waiting for you! 😆
Amazing how good the PAF pilots are…. never an incident of error on their part!
Tim,
As a military veteran, I am very sure you know that military are a tool of politician. Of cause the military will want the best maintained or the latest equipment as their life are depending on it. To put the blame on pilot error when there are still so much uncertainties would be unfair and very hash to the pilot's family. The simple fact may be very obvious but there is also human factors to it. As a military person, aren't we taught to follow orders?
Hi Johan – Tim never said that it was pilot error, just that it was possible. Speaking of unfair, isn't it unfair to say that the United States gave a defective plane? The plane had been in the possession of the Philippines for over 20 years, it would seem that any defects would have made themselves clear by now.
Hi Bob,
I was in Samal last week. I heard lots of stories about the C-130. What intrigue me is not that is old, or its unfair or the not having a radar. Why is there a news block out about the actual conversation from the tower and the pilot? How come it only took a couple of days for the US Navy to come? where were they stationed that they were at the scene right away?
Hi Jim – I also wondered about the U.S. Navy ship how he was here in only a couple of hours to search for the C-130, that doesn't make any sense. Also remember a few months ago, when the ferry sank in the typhoon? Another U.S. Navy ship came at that time. Original reports was that it was coming from Hawaii, but it was here in like 12 hours. A ship coming from Hawaii should take days, at least. Not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, just wondering about that myself.
Hi Bob,
Yes, that means they were just around the corners. Within Philippine waters. Another observation was that they were left alone during their search. There was a huge distance from them. Very strange, particularly this event because they were so quick to respond. Just imagine it would take 19 to 21hrs from Cebu to Davao on a ship doing 19 knots. Even if it were traveling at 30 knots from Hawaii, it take more than 12hrs to anchor at Davao Gulf. Very strange.
Jim
Hi Jim – Yes, indeed!