Philippine coast guard workers retrieve part of crashed plane

MANILA, Philippines -- Coast guard salvage workers on Wednesday retrieved the main part of a twin-engine commuter plane that crashed into Manila Bay, allowing inspection of the wreckage to begin, officials said.

Rescuers recovered the last five bodies from the crash site on Tuesday, bringing the final death toll to 19. Fifteen people survived Monday's crash of the Fokker 27 plane.

Laoag International Airlines flight 585 was taking off from Manila's domestic airport headed for Laoag city with 34 people on board, when it lost contact with the control tower. Initial reports suggested it went down due to engine problems.

Air Transportation Office chief Adelberto Yap said investigators from the ATO, the British engine company Rolls Royce, and Dutch aircraft maker Fokker will begin inspecting the wreckage.

Two days after the crash, the salvage team was able to lift the main body of the aircraft from 50 feet of water onto a barge.

The nose and one of the propeller blades were damaged as the wreckage was loaded onto the barge. The rear portion of the plane, containing flight data and voice recorders, has not yet been recovered.