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| Sunday, 6 October 2002 |
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Philippine air force plane crashes, occupants safe MANILA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A two-seater Philippine air force plane crashed near a small island in the south of the country on Saturday, but its two pilots bailed out safety, a spokesman said. The pilots of the SF-260 Marchetti aircraft parachuted out after the plane encountered mechanical problems, and swam ashore to the island of Santa Cruz near Zamboanga city, Air Force Major Restituto Padilla said. "They're safe...The pilots were forced to bail out after encountering a problem of undetermined cause. We are trying to retrieve the plane to determine what exactly happened," he said. Army officials in Zamboanga said the plane crashed on the southern portion of Santa Cruz, some 2.5 nautical miles off Zamboanga city. The aircraft was returning to its airbase in Zamboanga city when it crashed. It was part of a two-aircraft team dispatched to help the Philippine coastguard locate a commercial vessel that left the Zamboanga port without the proper clearances. Padilla said there was no sign of rebel involvement in the accident. Philippine troops have stepped up their hunt for Muslim rebels operating in the south. The rebels claim to be fighting for a separate Islamic state in the south of the mainly Catholic country but their main activity is kidnapping. |
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