Indonesian student pilot survives crash

MANILA, Philippines—An Indonesian student pilot escaped death after the light plane he was flying crashed in a mountainous area in Cervantes town, Ilocos Sur on Monday.

Reports reaching the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines in Manila said the Cessna 152 plane with tail number RPC-6791 crashed in Sitio Maslong, Barangay Dinwede West, Cervantes.

The pilot, Michael Djaja, was rescued at around 6:30 p.m. by villagers who trekked two hours to the crash site. The municipality of Cervantes is located along Ilocos Sur’s boundary with Mountain Province and Benguet.

The plane took off from the San Fernando City airport in La Union at around 10 a.m. on Monday and was bound for Tagudin, Ilocos Sur when it crashed for still unknown reasons.

The owner of the plane, Leading Edge International Aviation Academy, through flight instructor Donabel Bello, later called the police to report that the plane could no longer be contacted.

The Philippine Air Force also sent a reconnaissance plane to fly over the vicinity of the crash.