MANILA — The flight data recorder of the ill-fated FA-50 fighter jet with tail number “002” will be sent to the United States for extraction of data, an official of the Philippine Air Force said on Monday.

The device could tell the altitude, airspeed and flight path or direction taken by the crashed FA-50 aircraft and provide information to investigators on the problems the pilots encountered.

“’Yung flight data recorder would have to be sent to the US for extraction of the data and magkakaroon ng eventual assessment ang ating original equipment manufacturer, KAI [Korea Aerospace Industries]. They are also helping us in the investigation and assessments,” PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo told ABS-CBN News in a phone interview.

“That’s the usual process for flight data recorder extraction of data considering also the impact. We would have to extract the memory card, so there’s a process. We have experts in the US who are capable of extracting the data coming from our flight data recorder,” she added.

Castillo said the extraction of data from the flight data recorder may take “a few days.”

PAF pilots Major Jude Salang-oy and First Lieutenant April John Dadulla died when their FA-50 lead-in trainer fighter jet crashed into Mount Kalatungan in Bukdinon past midnight on Tuesday, March 4.

The aircraft was providing close air support to ground troops conducting an operation against members of the New People’s Army in Barangay Iba in Cabanglasan town when it lost communication with the rest of the flight.

The wreckage of the FA-50 fighter jet and the bodies of the two pilots were found the next day.

PAF investigators reached the crash site on Saturday.

Castillo said the investigating team checked on the impact points and collected remaining aircraft parts needed in the probe.

“The PAF investigating team who went to Mount Kalatungan are almost done with their investigation there and are preparing to go down. But that’s after they have secured all the aircraft parts that need to be brought down, at the same time make sure that they leave the area safe and secured,” Castillo noted.

Material, mechanical, environmental and human factors are among the angles the PAF is looking at following the crash.

“Nandiyan ang material factor, mechanical factor, human factor—it’s not only about the pilots, it also involves other personnel involved from the maintenance, control tower to the ground controllers, everybody will have to be assessed,” the PAF spokesperson explained.

She then continued, “We also have to look at environmental factors, the wind, precipitation, everything that could possibly have contributed to the accident. It’s a confluence of a lot of factors.”

“The commitment of the PAF is to come up with a swift investigation but a very thorough one,” she further said.

CONTROLLED DETONATION

Castillo said the explosives loaded in the crashed aircraft will be safely detonated in coordination with the local government unit and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“Whatever’s there that will need to be detonated, it will [undergo] controlled detonation in coordination with the LGU and DENR. We will make sure that the process will be safe for all the communities surrounding there, although it’s really far from the communities,” she assured.

A controlled detonation is a planned explosion of an explosive device to disable it.

Castillo declined to say how many explosives will be detonated, citing operational security reasons.

ADMINISTRATIVE RELIEF

The crash is the first since the 12 FA-50s were acquired from South Korea from 2015 to 2017.

Following the incident, the PAF grounded the remaining 11 FA-50 aircraft, but Castillo clarified that they could be flown “if required.”

“Administrative grounding sila, but we can fly them in case there’s a need to respond to any concern or contingency that is of national concern,” Castillo said.

PAF PILOTS

The remains of the two pilots of the ill-fated fighter jet were flown from the Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City to the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City for arrival honors on Saturday.

Salang-oy and Dadulla were conferred the Distinguished Aviation Cross award, the highest aviation-related award, for their “heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.”

Salang-oy’s remains were transferred to the Basa Air Base in Pampanga on Sunday, while Dadulla’s remains will also be brought there on Tuesday. Both pilots were members of the PAF’s 5th Fighter Wing.

“They will have an overnight vigil there on Tuesday. By Wednesday, they will be brought by their families to their respective hometowns,” Castillo said. “It will be [a] private [vigil], as requested by the families.”