Breaking: crash Philippine Air Force Hercules
On 4 July 2021, a Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas (PAF, Philippine Air Force) Lockheed C-130H Hercules crashed in the Sulu province south of the country.
The transporter, serial 5125 (construction number 382-5125), crashed while trying to land at the province's Jolo airport. The aircraft was carrying three pilots, five crew members, and 84 passengers mostly personnel from the Philippine Army's 4th Infantry Division.
According to an initial report from the Department of National Defense (DND), forty people were rescued and have been brought to medical facilities, while 17 bodies have been recovered. Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing.
Initial information indicated that the aircraft was flying from Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City, and missed the runway while landing at Jolo Airport. It tried to regain power but failed and crashed just outside the airport.
The C-130H involved was only delivered to the PAF in January 2021, as part of an acquisition for two refurbished C-130Hs partially funded by US Military Assistance grant. The aircraft was previously used by the US Air Force (serial 87-9284) and was last operated by the AF Reserve Command (AFRC) 95th Airlift Squadron at Pope AFB (NC), before being stored at the 309th Aircraft Maintenance And Regeneration Group, also known as the Davis Monthan storage boneyard, situated near Tucson (AZ), in June 2016. See the Scramble Magazine news item of 28 January 2021 on the delivery of this aircraft.
The aircraft was refurbished and removed of US military-only equipment, and was transferred to the Philippine Air Force in 2020, and delivered in January 2021. It officially entered service with the PAF on 18 February 2021. With the crash, the PAF is expected to ground its entire fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft, two of which are said to be currently operational. Another two aircraft are undergoing maintenance, with one being serviced in Portugal.
The PAF's C-130 Hercules fleet are assigned to the 222nd Airlift Squadron (220th Airlift Wing) based at Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, Cebu province.
Photo courtesy of Pondohan TV