PA-28-180
26th Jan 2006, 02:34
I have NEVER posted in this forum before as I am a civilian pilot. However, there was an OV-10 crash here yesterday. I am posting as a tribute to the pilot, Captain Aniano Amatong, 31 years old. The aircraft suffered "some type of engine" trouble - Captain Amatong ordered his co-pilot to eject...he did and survived. Captain Amatong stayed with the aircraft in order to avoid it going down in a heavily populated area, was unable to eject and subsequently perished. To me, this was an heroic sacrifice - not unusual among military aviators I have known, including a cousin who flew F-4's for the US Navy.
I am printing some of an editorial from today's Philippine Star below:
n a blink, the decision was made: sacrifice self, save others.
Capt. Aniano Amatong, 31, ordered his co-pilot to bail out of a malfunctioning plane. Capt. James Acosta did and survived.
Amatong then steered his doomed plane away from the populated areas of Paombong, Bulacan and headed for an open pond. It was too late for him to bail out. But the tragedy took no other casualties.
Pure heroism. It has to be called that.
It is usual to joke that the Philippine Air Force is all air and no force. But what it lacked in aviation, it made up for with the quality of its aviators.
Capt. Amatong showed us that. He had skill and he had heart. Described as one of the PAF’s best pilots, he demonstrated at the last moment of his life that even his immense talents were overshadowed by an awesome compassion.
Soldiers are trained to kill. But it takes character to know how to die.
Capt. Amatong deserves every honor we could bestow, every accolade we could afford. The tragedy that took him might be usual; the character he showed dealing with that tragedy is exemplary.
LINK www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200601262607.htm
Rest in peace.
I am printing some of an editorial from today's Philippine Star below:
n a blink, the decision was made: sacrifice self, save others.
Capt. Aniano Amatong, 31, ordered his co-pilot to bail out of a malfunctioning plane. Capt. James Acosta did and survived.
Amatong then steered his doomed plane away from the populated areas of Paombong, Bulacan and headed for an open pond. It was too late for him to bail out. But the tragedy took no other casualties.
Pure heroism. It has to be called that.
It is usual to joke that the Philippine Air Force is all air and no force. But what it lacked in aviation, it made up for with the quality of its aviators.
Capt. Amatong showed us that. He had skill and he had heart. Described as one of the PAF’s best pilots, he demonstrated at the last moment of his life that even his immense talents were overshadowed by an awesome compassion.
Soldiers are trained to kill. But it takes character to know how to die.
Capt. Amatong deserves every honor we could bestow, every accolade we could afford. The tragedy that took him might be usual; the character he showed dealing with that tragedy is exemplary.
LINK www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200601262607.htm
Rest in peace.