About 300 rescuers searched Sunday for Philippine Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and his two pilots after their small plane crashed into the sea while attempting an emergency landing. An aide of Robredo made a dramatic escape from the plane and was helping in the search, officials said.

The four-seat Piper Seneca took off Saturday from central Cebu City, where Robredo had met local officials, and was 30 minutes into the flight to his hometown of Naga City when one of its two engines stalled. The Filipino pilot and Nepali student co-pilot attempted to land in Masbate province, but missed the runway by about 500 meters (550 yards), Transport Secretary Mar Roxas said.

President Benigno Aquino III flew Sunday with his defense chief and the heads of the national police and the military to Masbate, about 380 kilometers (235 miles) southeast of Manila, to oversee the U.S. military-backed search.