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Pilot Drained PAL graze A320 off Kalibo

Aborts Landing

August 18, 2010

A Philippine Airlines PR 321 flight (RP-C8613) bound for the Kalibo International Airport returned and declared an emergency landing in Manila after belly grazing the airport perimeter fence which cause hydraulic explosion in the right main landing gears while attempting to land in Aklan.

The flight with 127 passengers and 6 crew landed safely at NAIA after its original landing schedule at Kalibo around 9:45 a.m. was aborted Tuesday.

The pilot was able to taxi the plane to Bay 22 parking area where the passengers and crew were off-loaded. The airline said the airplane sustained minor damage on its belly and hydraulic systems which can easily be repaired.

The aircraft was piloted by pilot Capt. Miguel Gomez whose manned plane approach the runway lower than what was indicated in the PAPI lights.

PAL said the pilots aborted the approach because of heavy downpour and low visibility at Kalibo Airport.

A resident in the area said he was surprised to see the plane flew so low before it hit the fence and blew a passing tricycle a few meters off the road. The driver and passenger of the tricycle, couple Richard and Margie Rubin, were rushed to the St. Gabriel Hospital in Kalibo for treatment.

PAL explained in a statement that the misapproach was due to "poor visibility" at the Kalibo airport. But an airport insider at Kalibo who doesnt want to be named because he is not authorized to speak said an earlier plane was able to land without problems, and hinted that the airlines' lack of qualified pilots maybe showing off.

It still not clear whether the airports new ILS facility was used by the airline in doing the approach to the runway.

The affected passengers were transferred to another aircraft leaving NAIA at around 1:03 p.m. and arrived at Kalibo around 2:13 p.m.

The aircraft underbelly is undergoing thorough inspection at the hangar of Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP).

1 comment:

  1. the plane grazed the airport perimeter fence. pilot error.

    ReplyDelete