Click here to view the full article CEBU CITY -- About two hours into a training flight Saturday, an eight-seater Huey (UH1H) helicopter gunship of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was on its way back to its Mactan base when it crashed on two tricycles, killing nine people. Citing PAF's preliminary findings on the incident, Mancenido said nylon strings were found stuck inside the crashed chopper's swash plate, a mechanism that enabled the rotation of the helicopter's main rotor. “The investigation is not yet finished. What we are only saying is the string may be a probable cause. We have yet to inspect the engine,†said Mancenido, adding that the Huey's engine was brought to PAF's chopper depot in its Clark base for a thorough checkup. Tolentino said there were no indications of an error or negligence by the pilot. The engine did not stop but witnesses said the rotor had stopped rotating as the helicopter dropped, he said. He said the strands of nylon string found on the rotor system reinforced investigators' theory that the accident was caused by a kite that got entangled with the helicopter's rotor. He said investigators learned that at least three kites were being flown close to the Philippine Air Force base on Mactan Island at the time when the helicopter crashed as it was preparing to land. Major Geneneral Ike Inserto, Tactical Operations Command chief at the Mactan air base, described the nylon found in the rotor system of the chopper as "thicker" than those ordinarily used to fly kites. Inserto said they took statements from witnesses who saw three kites that got entangled with the helicopter when it was flying above the Lapu-Lapu City market. Add this to the Craziest Conspiracy Ever Told. Maybe the witness can see ants 200 meters away.