List of Philippine Airlines accidents and incidents

Since its foundation in 1941, Philippine Airlines has suffered more than 20 aircraft crashes, terrorist attacks and aircraft hijackings. Most of these accidents and incidents involved propeller-driven aircraft; and most occurred prior to the 1980s.

Incidents and accidents

Philippine Airlines Reported Incidents
Flight Designation Date Aircraft Location Description Casualties
October 1, 1946 Douglas DC-3 Davao Airport The aircraft belly landed in an isolated swamp when the pilot had lost his bearings. Fatalities: 0
January 25, 1947 Douglas C-47 en route to Hong Kong-Kai Tak International Airport Dakota PI-C12 crashed into the 1,723 feet (525 m) high Mount Parker at an altitude of 1,570 feet (480 m). Fatalities: 4
June 16, 1947 Douglas C-47 Near Cebu Force-landed on the beach. Fatalities: 0
December 26, 1947 Douglas C-47 Manila? Four C-47s were written off following a typhoon. Fatalities: Unknown
January 21, 1948 Douglas DC-3 Mandurriao Airport Wheels-up landing. Fatalities: 0
April 20, 1948 Douglas C-47 Jolo Airport Crashed on landing. Fatalities: 0
May 17, 1948 Douglas DC-3 Cebu Airport Crashed on takeoff. Fatalities: 0
November 15, 1948 Douglas DC-6 Wake Island Overran runway on landing. Fatalities: 0
May 7, 1949 Douglas C-47 En route Daet to Manila Crashed into the sea; a time bomb had been placed aboard the aircraft by two ex-convicts. Fatalities: 13
N/A January 24, 1950 Douglas DC-3 Between Ilolio and Manila The aircraft disappeared during an Ilolio–Manila cargo service. Fatalities: 4
March 10, 1952 Douglas DC-3 Cebu City Crashed shortly after takeoff after striking the top of a house. Fatalities: 3
N/A March 30, 1952 Douglas DC-3 Baguio City The aircraft, with registration number PI-C270 and departing from Loakan Airport, crashed upon takeoff. Fatalities: 10
October 15, 1953 Douglas C-47 Near Tuguegarao The aircraft force-landed in a rice paddy; although the aircraft was repaired in 1954 and returned to service, it was lost in the crash of Flight S26. Fatalities: 0
N/A January 14, 1954 Douglas DC-6 Rome Crashed on approach to Ciampino Airport following an unexplained loss of control, probably due to turbulence. Fatalities: 16
June 21, 1957 de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter Unknown Written off. Fatalities: Unknown
December 11, 1957 de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter Labo Airport Climbing through 75 feet (23 m) after takeoff, the aircraft suddenly turned left and descended, hit two trees and caught fire. The aircraft had been improperly loaded, with the center of gravity too far to the rear; weather conditions were also a factor. Fatalities: 2
July 14, 1960 Douglas C-47 En route to Cebu Bad weather at the intended destination Zamboanga forced the crew of the PAL DC-3 to divert to Cebu. Fuel exhaustion then forced the crew to ditch their plane in shallow water, 40yds off the Mindanao shore. Fatalities: 0
PR S26 November 23, 1960 Douglas DC-3 Manila Crashed in Mount Baco while en route to Manila due to poor weather conditions. Fatalities: 33
PR S85 December 22, 1960 Douglas DC-3 Cebu City Crashed shortly after takeoff from Lahug Airport following failure of the number one engine. Fatalities: 28
October 23, 1962 Douglas DC-3 Lumbia Airport Crashed and caught fire on landing. Fatalities: 0
PR 984 March 2, 1963 Douglas DC-3 Davao City Struck Mount Boca at 3000 feet due to navigation errors. Fatalities: 27
PR 946 February 21, 1964 Douglas DC-3 Marawi City Crashed due to pilot error upon landing approach. Fatalities: 31
PR 26/25 May 21, 1964 de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter En route from Siocon Airport to Zamboanga Airport The pilot continued to fly VFR into unfavourable weather over the jagged shoreline with practically zero visibility due to heavy rain. There was a heavy squall at the time and at the scene of the accident. Weather conditions in the Western Mindanao area during the day of the accident were generally unfavourable for VFR flights. When the pilot took off from Siocon the ceiling at the destination, Zamboanga, was below IFR minima. Fatalities: 11
PR 741 October 29, 1965 Douglas C-47 Near Manila Struck a tree and crashed shortly after takeoff. The pilot had not set the rubber trim tab to its proper position before takeoff and during flight; the aircraft was also overloaded. Fatalities: 1
PR 785 June 29, 1966 Douglas DC-3 Sablayan Crashed due to crew error, severe turbulence and strong gusty winds. Fatalities: 26
PR 345 February 28, 1967 Fokker F-27 Friendship Cebu City Crashed at Mactan-Cebu International Airport during landing due to an aft center of gravity condition resulting from improper loading. Fatalities: 12
PR 385 July 6, 1967 Fokker F-27 Friendship Bacolod City Crashed into a mountain. Fatalities: 21
August 5, 1969 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Near Zamboanga A passenger set off an explosive device, probably gelignite, in the lavatory blowing himself out of the plane. The HS-748 landed safely. Fatalities: 1
PR 158 September 12, 1969 BAC One-Eleven Antipolo City Crashed short on a hill upon landing approach. Fatalities: 45
PR 215 April 21, 1970 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Manila Crashed in Nichols Field after a bomb exploded in the rear cargo section. Fatalities: 36
May 9, 1970 Fokker F-27 Maria Cristina Airport Control was lost on take-off from runway 02 in almost zero visibility. The F-27 ran off the runway and rolled over stockpiles of sand and crossed the shoulder. The left wingtip struck a stockpile of rocks, causing the aircraft to cartwheel. Fatalities: 1
June 2, 1970 Fokker F-27 Near Roxas A hand grenade exploded inside the passenger cabin at an altitude of 13,000 feet (4,000 m). A safe emergency landing was carried out at Roxas Airport with a 9 sq ft (0.84 m2) hole in the fuselage. Fatalities: 1
July 1, 1970 Fokker F-27 Dumaguete Airport The F-27 overran the runway. Undercarriage and right wing were severely damaged. Fatalities: 0
November 19, 1970 Douglas C-47 Manila Two C-47s (PI-C9 and PI-C15) were destroyed by a typhoon. Fatalities: 0
PR 463 November 28, 1972 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Bislig City Bounced and swerved on landing. The nosegear, wings and propellers were severely damaged. None
N/A February 3, 1975 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Manila Crashed in Nichols Field after a fire developed in the number two engine shortly after takeoff. It was also due to crew error in their inability to deal with a standard emergency. Fatalities: 33
February 25, 1975 Douglas DC-3 En route to Zamboanga Hijacked on a flight from Pagadian City to Zamboanga. Both hijackers surrendered.[1] Fatalities: 0
May 10, 1975 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Manila International Airport Tire burst during retraction. Fatalities: 0
June 3, 1975 BAC One-Eleven Near Manila During descent into Manila (at FL200) a bomb exploded in the right lavatory in the rear of the plane. The explosion caused a hole in the fuselage of 1.3m x 4m. A successful emergency landing was made. Fatalities: 1
PR 421 April 18, 1977 Douglas DC-8 Tokyo, Japan A DC-8-53 named "Champaca" (RP-C803) was written off after a landing accident at Haneda Airport. None
July 17, 1977 NAMC YS-11A Mactan Island The no. 1 engine ran down and temperature rose to 850deg. C. The aircraft, on base leg for an approach to Mactan, lost height and ditched. The airplane sank in 17 feet (5.2 m) of water. Fatalities: 0
August 17, 1978 BAC One-Eleven En route from Cebu to Manila An explosion in the rear left lavatory blew a hole in the fuselage. The aircraft was flying at FL240 at the time, on its way from Cebu to Manila. Fatalities: 1
July 11, 1982 Hawker Siddeley HS-748-209 Jolo Airport The take-off was aborted at V1 when the pilots heard two unusual sounds from the no. 1 engine. The aircraft overran and came to rest against a wall and some vehicles. Fatalities: 1
August 4, 1984 BAC One-Eleven Tacloban Airport Overshot runway 36 by 100 feet (30 m) and ended up in the sea. Fatalities: 0
PR 206 June 26, 1987 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Itogon, Benguet Crashed in Mount Ugu, fifteen kilometers south of Loakan Airport in Baguio City, due to poor visibility. Fatalities: 50
PR 443 December 13, 1987 Short 360-300 Iligan City Crashed near Maria Cristina Airport. Fatalities: 15
PR 124 July 21, 1989 BAC One-Eleven Manila Crashed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport when the aircraft overran the runway while landing, impacting several vehicles on an adjacent roadway. Ground Fatalities: 8
PR 143 May 11, 1990 Boeing 737-300 Manila EI-BZG suffered an explosion in the center fuel tank near the terminal of Ninoy Aquino International Airport while preparing for takeoff. The fire and smoke engulfed the aircraft before it could be completely evacuated. The explosion was similar to what happened to the ill-fated TWA Flight 800 six years later. Fatalities: 8
PR 434 December 11, 1994 Boeing 747-200B Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan A small bomb exploded underneath the seat (seat 26K) of Japanese businessman Haruki Ikegami. Ikegami died due to injuries sustained in the explosion, the only fatality on board. The aircraft landed safely. Investigators later found that Ramzi Yousef planted the bomb there to test it out for a terrorist attack he was planning, Project Bojinka. The plan was foiled after an apartment fire in Manila led investigators to the laptop computer and disks containing the plan. Fatalities: 1
PR 137 March 22, 1998 Airbus A320-200 Bacolod City The aircraft overran the runway of Bacolod City Domestic Airport and crashed, plowing through homes near its end. Ground Fatalities: 3
PR 475 October 26, 2007 Airbus A320-200 Butuan City The aircraft, with 148 passengers on board, overshot the runway of Bancasi Airport. Injuries: 19
Source: Philippine Airlines Accidents and Incidents, Aviation safety Network.

Hijackings

  • On December 30, 1952, after takeoff from Laoag International Airport, an armed man forced his way into the cockpit. He pulled out a .45-caliber pistol and demanded that the plane be brought to Xiamen, in mainland China. The captain took over control from the co-pilot and put the plane into a steep dive. The hijacker did not lose his balance, and shot and killed the captain, forcing the co-pilot to retake control. A flight attendant had come up to the cockpit to find out what was going on; as he knocked, the hijacker shot him twice through the cockpit door, killing him. The co-pilot changed course to China and continued at 6,000 feet (1,800 m) over the China Sea until two Chinese Nationalists T-6 Harvard planes showed up. Both planes chased the DC-3 and sprayed machine gun fire. The pilot managed to escape until he met with other Nationalist planes, who forced the flight to land at Quemoy. At Quemoy the hijacker was arrested.[2]
  • On November 6, 1968, four hijackers demanded money.[3]
  • On March 30, 1971, six hijackers hijacked a Philippines Airlines BAC One-Eleven en route to Davao City and ordered the pilot to divert the plane to Guangzhou, China. En route, the pilot requested for a refuelling stop in Hong Kong where 20 passengers where freed. The plane proceeded to Guangzhou where the hijackers disembarked and requested asylum. The rest of the passengers where freed by Chinese authorities and the aircraft returned to Manila the following day.[4][5][6]
  • On October 11, 1973, three hijackers surrendered after attempting to hijack a Philippines Airlines BAC One-Eleven in Hong Kong[7]
  • On February 25, 1975, two hijackers attempted to hijack a Philippines Airlines BAC One-Eleven bound from Davao to Manila. They surrendered.[8]
  • On October 7, 1975, one hijacker on a Philippines Airlines BAC One-Eleven bound from Davao to Manila demanded to be taken to Libya. He surrendered.[9]
  • On April 7, 1976, a BAC 1-11 was hijacked by rebels for seven days, demanding money and the release of imprisoned rebels. The aircraft ended up in Benghazi, Libya.[10]
  • On May 23, 1976, Philippine Airlines Flight 116, a BAC One-Eleven en route from Davao to Manila, was hijacked by rebels, demanding $375,000 and a plane to fly them to Libya. The hijackers subsequently detonated a hand grenade in the cabin, which burned the aircraft and killed 10 passengers and 3 hijackers. The remaining three hijackers were caught and sentenced to death.[11]
  • On July 12, 1980, a hijacker of a Philippine Airlines flight from Manila to Cebu demanded money and wanted to be flown to Libya. The aircraft was stormed and the hijacker arrested.[12]
  • On May 21, 1982, a man with a hand grenade, demanding better conditions for sugar workers and coconut farmers, held 109 people hostage aboard a Philippine Airlines jet bound from Bacolod to Cebu. The plane was on the ground at Cebu. The unidentified hijacker also demanded pay raises for teachers and back pay for veterans.[13][14]
  • On May 25, 2000, Philippine Airlines Flight 812, en route from Davao to Manila, was hijacked by a man with marital problems. The hijacker was pushed out of the aircraft before arrival by a flight attendant and used a homemade parachute in escaping, with none of the other passengers and crew being injured or killed.[15]

References

  1. "Hijacking description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  2. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  3. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  4. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  5. Plane Hijacked to Red China; Waukegan Man is Aboard, Chicago Tribune, March 30, 1971
  6. Jet Hijacked in Red China Flies Back to Hong Kong, Chicago Tribune, March 31, 1971
  7. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  8. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  9. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  10. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  11. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  12. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network
  13. Man With a Grenade Seizes 109 on Jetliner in Philippines, The New York Times, May 21, 1982
  14. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety Network
  15. Hijacking description, Aviation Safety network


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.