Nepali pilot’s body recovered, retrieval ops end

By Ernesto A. Delgado

Friday 24th of August 2012

MASBATE CITY, Aug 24 (PIA) -- Retrieval operations have ended Thursday morning after the recovery of the body of Nepali flight student Kshitiz Chand, whose body was found floating not far from the site where his light plane crashed with Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others on board five days ago.

“With the recovery of Nepalese student pilot Kshitiz Chand, we now conclude the search and retrieval (SAR) operations,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told journalists in the final briefing of Task Force Kalihim.

Chand’s remains were spotted by skipper Pambitoy delos Santos of MBca Cooperative, a passenger boat sailing to Masbate Port from Ticao Island at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Gazmin said.

The flight student’s father, Theck, identified his son through his shirt and watch at La Funeria Eternas here, Lt. Col. Julian Pacatan, Army commander in Masbate, said.

The remains of Capt. Jessup Bahinting, the chief pilot of the ill-starred plane, were recovered from the right side of the Piper Seneca’s cockpit just hours before the recovery of Chand’s body. Robredo’s body was found on Tuesday and are now lying in state at his hometown in Naga City.

The lone survivor, Senior Insp. June Paolo Abrasado, was brought to Manila for treatment of injuries that he suffered from the crash.

Gazmin said the Philippine government will help the Chand family transport the body to Nepal.

Gazmin said that with the conclusion of retrieval operations, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) would start its investigation of the cause of the tragedy. (MAL/EAD-PIA5 Masbate)