Posted on Sunday, 04.10.11
BAGUIO, Philippines -- A small plane carrying six people crashed in a popular mountain resort city in the northern Philippines on Sunday, killing two of those on board and injuring the others, officials said.
The six-seater Piper Aztec plane crashed and burst into flames on a hilly horse-riding trail in Camp John Hay, a former U.S. military recreation center, a few minutes after taking off from Baguio city's airport, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan said.
One passenger was killed instantly and another died later in a hospital, officials said.
Renee Gabuyog, a horseback-riding guide, said he saw the plane flying unusually low over the pine trees and then heard a loud thud followed by an explosion.
No one on the ground was injured.
The pilot may have wanted to make an emergency landing on a grassy clearing but struck some trees, police said. The plane crashed near restaurants, hotels and a picnic area where a weekend crowd had gathered.
Baguio, called the country's summer capital for its cool weather, is famous for its mountain scenes and pine trees.
An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the crash, police said.