Trainer plane stalls flights

May 9, 2013

By Eric B. Apolonio

A small trainer aircraft from Clark International Airport Wednesday morning  touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport with its landing gear unretracted blocking Runway 06 for almost an hour.

The Piper Aztec plane (RP-C1095) of Fast Fly Academy Training School was flown by Captain Miguel Perey along with Co-Pilot Marvin Raguvik and passenger Lawrence Uy escaped unhurt but the mishap led to the runway’s closure from 6:30 a.m. to 7:20 a.m.

Delayed were four international flights–China Southern Flight CZ180 to Beijing; Delta Airlines Flight DL 630 to Nagoya; Cathay Pacific Flight CX 904 Hong Kong and Cebu Pacific flight  5J 110 to Hong Kong–along with domestic schedules of were affected , while Domestic flights from PAL flight PR 453 to General Santos, Cebu Pac Flight 5J 551 Cebu, 5J 771 Pagadian, 5J 785 Butuan, 5J 583 Cagayan, 5J 963 Davao, 5J 474 Bacolod,Air Phil  Flight 2P 941 Puerto Princesa, 2P 972 Tacloban and 2P 202 to Roxas City.

NAIA’s 06/24 handles wide-body commercial aircraft while Runway 13 takes up  general aviation.

NAIA’s runways average 36 events (takeoffs and landings) per hour, but actual scheduled commercial and general aviation flights, including trainer aircraft and fish runs, go as high as 50 events per hour during daytime, causing congestion that result in flight delays and cancellations.