Light Plane Crash In Cardenas

alt(Panama-Guide) - La Estrella - An aircraft with tail number HP 1651 crashed about 50 meters from a house in the area of Cardenas, in the reversed area, close to the facilities of the Ministry of Education. Apparently the pilot and mechanic Hugo Cervantes, who is about 36 years old, managed to avoid a disaster with tragic consequences, said Captain Angel Raul Aguilar, the head of communications for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The airplane, a Cessna 210 Centurion with retractable landing gear, took off from the Marcos A. Gelabert airport at Albrook with a flight plan that included a landing on the runway at Calzada Larga and then a subsequent return to Albrook. Upon his return, by his own account, the pilot 'lost control' of the aircraft and crashed into the wooded area surrounding the Metropolitan Park.

After the crash, Cervantes was taken to the emergency room of St. Thomas hospital for treatment. "He left the plane on his own two feet: said aviation authorities who attended the accident area. Investigators of the Accidents and Incidents Unit of the Civil Aviation Authority will conduct their inspections to determine the causes of failure. Unofficially, it was learned that this accident could have been caused by the failure of the single engine due to the loss of oil pressure or overheating. "It's very likely that this is what happened", commented the sources at the site of the accident. The plane went down in the residential area of Cardenas where there are still American families who were once linked to the US Army South or the former Panama Canal Commission. 
 
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Original Source: Panama-Guide
Date Retrieved: November 17, 2010.