The forgotten crash at Mt Madiac-when Kalibo Airport became a military outpost

By: Guillermo Sumbiling

KALIBO, AKLAN — July 25, 1965. Sixty years ago today, one of the deadliest air tragedies in Philippine military history occurred in the mountains of Panay Island. Though largely forgotten by the wider public, it remains a powerful story of loss, duty, and silent heroism—especially for the people of Aklan who witnessed its aftermath.

On that fateful morning, a Philippine Air Force Douglas C-47 transport aircraft took off from Nichols Air Base (now Villamor Air Base) bound for San Jose, Antique. As it flew over the dense and cloud-covered ridges of Panay’s central mountain range, the aircraft disappeared from contact.

Three days later, its wreckage was discovered just 300 meters below the summit of Mount Madiac +(beside Mt Madiaas) in the remote uplands of Madalag, Aklan, near the provincial borders of Antique and Iloilo. All 37 individuals aboard—including 7 crew members—were killed in the crash. According to records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (BAAA) and other historical sources, the aircraft was cruising at around 6,000 feet when it struck the mountain, with poor weather and limited visibility identified as contributing factors.

🚁 Kalibo Airport: The Nerve Center of Rescue

At the time, Kalibo Airport was a modest provincial airfield with only a few regular flights. But in the days following the crash, it transformed into a military rescue outpost. Sikorsky UH-34D helicopters of the Philippine Air Force landed one after another, bringing in rescue teams, medical personnel, and supplies. Soldiers set up a temporary base at the airport, where locals gathered to watch the somber movements of the operation.

As a young observer then, I remember the air thick with tension and urgency. The whir of helicopter blades filled the sky. Soldiers moved with solemn determination, many of them unaware of what they would find in the dense, treacherous jungle above.

🏔️ Mount Madiac: The Silent Witness

Mount Madiac, at 5,630 feet above sea level, is one of the tallest peaks in Panay, part of the island’s wild and rugged interior. It lies just beside Mount Madjaas of Culasi, Antique—the highest mountain in the region. In 1965, flying over this terrain in bad weather was a perilous challenge, with no satellite tracking, no terrain warning systems, and only limited navigational tools available.

The crash of the Philippine Air Force plane was not due to enemy fire or sabotage—but to the harsh realities of early air travel and the unpredictability of mountain weather.

🕯️ A Legacy of Sacrifice

There are no monuments atop Mount Madiac, no yearly commemorations. But the memory of that crash—and the lives lost—must not fade. The 37 souls aboard that flight included uniformed personnel who served their country with honor and discipline. They died not in battle, but in the line of duty, flying to reach communities on the other side of the mountains.

This story is not only a remembrance of tragedy but a tribute to service—to those who flew in an era when every flight across our islands carried unknown risks.

✈️ Remembering the Past, Respecting the Progress

Air travel today is far safer, thanks to modern technology, weather forecasting, and navigation systems. But those advances were built, in part, on the hard lessons of the past. The crash at Mount Madiac reminds us how much was sacrificed to bring us where we are today.

Let the younger generation know: the quiet town of Kalibo once stood at the crossroads of a national tragedy, and the mountains of Panay once bore witness to courage in the face of uncertainty.

In solemn memory of the 37 lives lost on July 25, 1965.
Your sacrifice and service to the nation shall never be forgotten.

Historical facts verified and supported by data from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (BAAA).

• (note: photos are for illustration purposes only. The subjecr is similar to the story)