An airplane from China veered off a runway at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport while landing in a downpour near midnight, then got stuck in a muddy field with one engine and wheel ripped off before the 165 people on board scrambled out through an emergency slide, officials said yesterday.
Only four people on board sustained scratches and all the rest, including eight crewmembers, aboard XiamenAir Flight MF8667 were safe and taken to an airport terminal, where they were given blankets and food before going to a hotel, airport general manager Ed Monreal told a news conference.
The Boeing 737-800 from China’s coastal city of Xiamen at first attempted but failed to land, apparently due to poor visibility that might have hindered the pilots’ view of the runway, Philippine Civil Aviation Authority Director-General Jim Sydiongco told reporters.
Photo: Reuters
The airplane circled before landing on its second attempt, but lost contact with the airport tower, he said.
“We think that when [it] landed, the plane swerved to the left and veered off the runway,” Monreal said, expressing relief that a disaster had been avoided. “With God’s blessing, all passengers and the crew were able to evacuate safely and no injuries except for about four who had some superficial scratches.”
The aircraft appeared to have “bounced” in a hard landing then veered off the runway and rolled onto a rain-soaked grassy area with its lights off, agency spokesman Eric Apolonio said, citing an initial report about the incident.
Investigators retrieved the airplane’s flight data recorder and are to get the cockpit voice recorder once the aircraft has been lifted to determine the cause of the accident, Sydiongco said.
The airport, Manila’s main international gateway, was to be closed most of yesterday while emergency crews remove excess fuel then try to lift the aircraft, its belly resting on the muddy ground, away from the main runway, which was being cleared of debris, officials said.
A smaller runway for domestic flights remained open, they said.
TV footage showed the airplane slightly tilting to the left, its left badly damaged wing touching the ground and its landing gear not readily visible as emergency personnel, many in orange overalls, examined and surrounded the aircraft. One of the detached engines and landing wheels lay a few meters away.
Lin Huagun (林華滾), general manager of XiamenAir’s Manila office, said the airline would send another airplane to resume the flight.
Several international and domestic flights have been canceled or diverted due to the closure of the airport, which is in a densely populated residential and commercial section of metropolitan Manila.
Airline officials initially said the airport could be opened by noon, but later extended the closure four more hours.
Hundreds of stranded passengers jammed one of three airport terminals due to flight cancelations and diversions.
Dozens of international flights were canceled, or either returned or diverted elsewhere in the region, officials said.
Torrential monsoon rains enhanced by a tropical storm flooded many low-lying areas of Manila and northern provinces last weekend, displacing thousands of residents and forcing officials to shut schools and government offices.
The weather has improved, with sporadic downpours.
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