Philippine plane wreckage spotted by US Navy ship

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-05 16:42

MANILA, Philippines -- Authorities are hoping to salvage the wreckage of a Philippine military transport plane from the ocean floor after a US Navy ship pinpointed the location of the plane that crashed two weeks ago killing 11, an official said Friday.

The US Navy oceanographic survey ship USNS John McDonnell found the wreckage late Thursday at a depth of 426 feet (129.84 meters) and took images with sonar equipment, Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, the Philippine navy's spokesman, said Friday

Arevalo said that large parts of the C-130 plane were found 1.3 nautical miles (2.4 kilometers) off southern Davao city. The vicinity of the crash had been located earlier, but not the actual wreckage.

"Now that we have identified its location, the next issue is how are we going to get it or refloat it," Arevalo said.

Salvagers with the necessary equipment may be sought because neither the Philippine navy nor the McDonnell have the capability to refloat the plane, he added.

The plane crashed shortly after take off from Davao International Airport en route to central Iloilo city on August 25, killing the nine crew on board and two army soldiers who had hitched a ride.

Fishermen found body parts, a torn uniform, combat boots and other debris near the crash site the next day.

Air force chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog would not speculate on the cause of the crash, which came amid an ongoing military offensive against Muslim rebels in three nearby provinces. The plane had just flown fresh troops to Davao for the offensive.

Air force investigators ruled out sabotage and were looking at the possibility of pilot error or mechanical failure.