MANILA – The aide of Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo recalled yesterday the horrifying moments before and during the time of impact when their light plane plunged into the sea off Masbate Saturday afternoon.

Police Senior Insp. Jun Abrazado said the impact rendered him unconscious for a while but he regained consciousness just in the nick of time to extricate himself from the aircraft before it finally went underwater.

Abrazado related what transpired during the intense few moments inside the ill-fated plane before it crashed, to President Benigno Aquino, who flew to Masbate early yesterday morning to supervise the search-and-rescue operations for the missing plane with Robredo and two pilots on board.

Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II told radio station DZBB during a radio interview that Abrazado became unconscious when he hit his head against the seat in front of him but recovered just in time before the plane went down to the water some 60 feet deep.

Abrazado was able to unfasten his seat belt, then tried to loosen the seat belt of Robredo but to no avail.

Hovering between life and death as rushing sea water entered the plane, Abrazado struggled towards the aircraft's door and got out just in the nick of time before the plane sank.

Abrazado recalled that 30 minutes after they took off from Mactan International Airport in Cebu Saturday afternoon, the plane developed trouble on its right engine.

The pilot tried to determine whether they would turn back to Cebu but decided to proceed to land at Masbate airport which was nearer. Unfortunately, the plane continued to lose altitude as the pilot struggled to fly the aircraft to the airstrip which was only a kilometer away.

As the plane was approaching the runway some 500 meters away, the plane crashed to the sea before 5 p.m. Saturday.

Fishermen, who were in the area at that time, saw the ill-fated plane plunge into the sea.

By instinct, they immediately undertook rescue operation and plucked the injured Abrazado from the water. They brought him to the hospital.

After being treated of a broken arm, Abrazado insisted that he be brought to the crash site to help locate his boss and the two pilots who were still missing yesterday.*PNA

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