What happened
A routine flight operated by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) departed from Bicol International Airport (RPLK) in Daraga, Albay, bound for Manila. The aircraft, carrying one pilot, one mechanic, and two passengers, was flying under a VFR to IFR flight plan intended to intercept the NAGA VOR and follow the W9 airway toward Alabat. After departing from runway 05 and performing a standard right upwind turn, the aircraft crossed the final approach of the same runway.
At 06:47LT, air traffic control established communication with the aircraft while it was at an altitude of 2,600 feet. During this exchange, the pilot confirmed the aircraft was passing the Camalig bypass. The controller instructed the crew to continue their climb and provide a position report once twenty nautical miles from the airport. However, by 06:50LT, the aircraft failed to provide the required report. Subsequent attempts by ATC to contact the crew were unsuccessful. The Manila Area Control Center (MACC) later noted that an initial radar signature of the aircraft had been detected but subsequently vanished from monitoring.
Following the loss of contact, the Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordinating Center (PARCC) upgraded the status of the flight to a DETRESFA. On February 19, 2023, a search operation conducted by the operator using an AW139 helicopter located the wreckage at approximately 6,300 feet on the southwest slope of Mt Mayon Volcano. An aerial investigation conducted the following day revealed scattered debris and evidence of a post-impact fire. All four occupants of the aircraft were fatally injured in the crash.
Findings
An aerial reconnaissance of the impact site confirmed the presence of scattered wreckage and signs of fire following the impact.