A tragic helicopter accident occurred in a northern province of the Philippines, resulting in the death of its pilot, who was alone on board at the time. The incident took place after the pilot completed a flight transporting a passenger to a nearby city, as reported by local officials on Sunday.

The helicopter, which had a capacity of four seats and was owned by a domestic airline, departed from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Saturday. It was on its way to Baguio, a popular mountain resort city, where it successfully dropped off a passenger. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, after completing the drop-off, the helicopter proceeded to land at an airstrip in Binalonan town in Pangasinan province for refueling before returning to Manila.

Officials at Binalonan airport indicated that the aircraft encountered issues with restarting its engine prior to takeoff, although it ultimately did manage to depart just before sunset, as per the civil aviation authority’s report. Unfortunately, the helicopter later crashed in a marshy area located in Guimba town in Nueva Ecija province, which is situated to the southeast of Pangasinan. Authorities confirmed that the pilot’s remains were recovered from the wreckage, which was partly submerged in the swamp.

An investigation into the crash has been initiated by aviation authorities. The Philippines has witnessed several small aircraft accidents in recent years, raising concerns regarding aviation safety in the region.