2 killed and 3 hurt in helicopter emergency landing in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A civilian helicopter made an emergency landing Tuesday in a grassy clearing near a village east of the Philippine capital, killing two people and injuring the three others onboard.

It was not immediately clear what caused the forced landing in clear weather about 50 meters (164 feet) from the nearest cluster of houses in a village in Pililla town in Rizal province, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and other officials said.

The Bell 505 helicopter took off from Manila and was enroute to Quezon province, more than 400 kilometers (248 miles) southeast of the capital, when it made a forced landing, aviation officials said.

One person died instantly from the impact of the landing and another died in a hospital. The three others, including the pilot, were brought to a hospital with injuries, Pililla town Mayor John Masinsin and the provincial police told reporters.

Masinsin added without elaborating that two of those onboard were foreigners, including one of the two who died.

“The survivors are still in shock so we cannot extract details from them,” Masinsin told reporters. “We’re prioritizing their recovery.”

Aviation officials said an investigation was underway.