A doctor from the Cana Municipal Health Office declared the student pilot dead before 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“He was immediately brought to the Caba Municipal Health Office where he was declared dead by the attending physician,” the Philippine Coast Guard said.
The PCG is conducting retrieval operations on the parts of the aircraft that sank in waters some 300 meters from the shore.
PCG La Union Station Commander Alois Morales said witnesses told them how the trainer plane crashed the sea.
Student pilot of First Aviation Academy in Subic killed in La Union crash
“Ang nakita lang natin na kwento sa atin noong nakakita na nandoon sa area, mga fisherman, nandoon sila nangingisda, biglang pabagsak daw ‘yung eroplano and then sumabog,” Morales told CNN Philippines. “And then ‘yun, tuloy tuloy na ‘yung pagbagsak niya sa dagat.”
[Translation: What we only know are stories from witnesses in the area, the fishermen, who said the plane suddenly went down and exploded. Then it continued to sink.]
The incident happened while the military attack helicopter was conducting a proficiency flight.
Three of the four occupants of the chopper jumped before it crashed in Bohol so they survived.
But the pilot was left behind and died in the incident.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.