Norwegian among 2 killed in Philippine plane crash

A small plane lashed by strong wind as it tried to land on a Philippine tourist island crashed into a coconut tree on Sunday, killing a Norwegian woman and a Filipino pilot, police said. Two other Norwegian tourists — the husband and son of the woman who was killed — and an Indonesian co-pilot were seriously injured when the Cessna plane crashed near a house and a road just outside the airport in Mambajao town, police officer Franquilino Linda said. The chartered plane had taken off from central Cebu province and was trying to land on the nearby island province of Camiguin when it was apparently buffeted by strong wind, went out of control and missed the runway, according to Linda, who saw the troubled plane shortly before the crash. “I think the pilot apparently tried to abort landing after missing much of the runway and tried to rapidly regain altitude but clipped the top of a coconut tree then slammed into another,” Linda told The Associated Press by telephone. “The plane then tumbled down to the ground with the tree.” Norwegian tourist Rachel Strande, 37, and Filipino pilot Christian Cesar Cebrecus died as they were being taken to a hospital, police investigator German Abian said. Strande’s 56-year-old husband, Lars, and 3-year-old son, Jeus Ola, survived with bruises and other injuries along with Cebrecus’ co-pilot, Nurmala Dewy, Abian said, adding the three were still in shock and recovering at a Camiguin hospital. The Strandes chartered the single-engine plane to follow a group of fellow Norwegian tourists after failing to get seats on a commercial flight to Camiguin, Abian told the AP. Strande was devastated by the tragedy and repeatedly shook his head after being told that his wife had died, Abian said. Authorities were planning to move Strande, his son and the Indonesian pilot to another hospital in Cebu for further treatment although doctors have declared them out of danger, he said. Camiguin, about 440 miles (710 kilometers) southeast of Manila, is popular among local and foreign tourists for its white sand beaches and dive spots.