What happened
The aircraft departed Elmore Airfield on the island of Mindoro to conduct an air evacuation mission toward Tanauan, Leyte. The flight carried a total of 34 individuals, consisting of four crew members, two medical staff, and 28 patients.
During the transit phase, between 1300LT and 1330LT, the pilot communicated with ground control to indicate that the aircraft was turning back to Mindoro. This transmission marked the final contact received from the flight team. Subsequent search efforts failed to locate any debris or traces of the occupants, resulting in the total loss of the mission.
Findings
The specific cause for the decision to return and the subsequent disappearance remains undocumented in the available records. No physical evidence was recovered to determine the mechanical status or exact location of the crash site.