[1] At the time of his death, President Magsaysay, a Nacionalista, was widely popular and was expected to easily win re-election in the presidential elections to be held in November 1957.

[2][3] The aircraft involved in the crash was a newly reconditioned twin engine C-47A-75-DL Skytrain,[4] which was operated by the Philippine Air Force and served as the official presidential plane of Magsaysay.

[1] It had a crew of five, all officers of the Philippine Air Force led by the pilot, Major Florencio Pobre, 37.

[8][9] The aircraft took off from Lahug Airport in Cebu City for Nichols Field near Manila, around 640 kilometers (400 mi) away, at 1:00 a.m. PHT, Sunday, March 17.

[5] The news had also spread throughout Manila and the rest of the Philippines, people weeping openly upon hearing of the missing flight.

They discovered one survivor, Nestor Mata, a reporter with the Philippine Herald newspaper, whom they transported down the mountain.

[3][11] In addition to President Magsaysay and Mata, the plane carried 24 others, including former Senator Tomas Cabili, a hero of the guerrilla resistance movement during World War II; Gregorio Hernandez Jr., Secretary of Education; Representative Pedro Lopez of Cebu's 2nd district; and General Benito Ebuen (1912–1957), commanding general of the Philippine Air Force.

[1][5] Magsaysay had first come into prominence when as Secretary of Defense during the Quirino administration, he had led the fight against the communist-inspired insurgency of the Hukbalahap movement.