In a tragic incident, an Indian student pilot and his Filipino trainer lost their lives when their small plane crashed in the Philippines. The crash occurred in Apayao province, and unfortunately, rescuers were unable to retrieve the bodies of Capt. Edzel John Lumbao Tabuzo and student pilot Anshum Rajkumar Konde from the crash site.

The two-seater Cessna plane, operated by Echo Air International Aviation Academy, went missing on Tuesday afternoon after departing from Laoag International Airport. It was scheduled to reach Tuguegarao Airport, but it failed to land.

The wreckage of the aircraft was found in Apayao province on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities deployed a medical and rescue team on a Black Hawk helicopter from the Philippine Air Force to locate the crash site. They spotted the plane's wreckage and the bodies of Tabuzo and Konde.

However, retrieval efforts were hampered by bad weather conditions. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has subsequently suspended the operations of Echo Air International Aviation Academy until a thorough investigation into the plane crash is completed.

This incident marks the third crash involving a Cessna plane in the country this year. Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and loved ones of Capt. Edzel John Lumbao Tabuzo and Anshum Rajkumar Konde during this difficult time.