PNP allows choppers to fly since March mishap

May 29, 2020

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday said they are allowing their helicopters to fly after being grounded for two months.

“We now allow our helicopters to fly,” Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said in a virtual press briefing.

On March 5, the PNP Command Group and Quad Staff has ordered the temporary grounding of the entire PNP fleet of rotary-wing aircraft as a standard procedure after the Bell-429 unit, where Gamboa and seven others were onboard, crashed in Laguna.

Gamboa said they are expecting a delivery of three helicopters this year.

“As a matter of fact we are expecting delivery of three more by October of this year but there is just a problem on the pre-delivery inspection. Our cops who were pilots were supposed to go abroad,” he said.

“But we are revising the scheme so that there will be pre-delivery inspection… maybe through virtual and they will show us how they test the choppers so that the PNP can accept it upon arrival here,” he added.

Aside from the Bell chopper, the PNP also maintains a fleet of Airbus H-125 and Robinson R-44 multi-role police helicopters.

Earlier, Gamboa said he is eyeing to procure 10 helicopters before his retirement on September 2. Ella Dionisio/DMS