PAL Plane Rocked by Turbulence, 19 Injured

Today

Sunday, December 6, 1998

SEVERAL Philippine Airlines passenger were injured yesterday—hitting the ceiling and getting thrown on the floor—when their flight ran into severe turbulence one hour after taking off from Singapore.

Flight PR 502 touched down safely at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after two hours, with at least 19 people on the board needing treatment. All of those injured—including some flight attendants—were not buckled at the time the accident happened.

Passenger Jose Gonzales, 39, suffered a possible neck fracture after he hit the airplane ceiling moments after coming out of the lavatory, according to airport physician Elena Querijero. He was taken to the San Juan de Dios Hospital by PAL staff for further treatment.

A flight stewardess, identified as Marjorie Esguerra, was reported to have possibly broken her left wrist.

Seventeen other passengers received treatment for contusions, abrasions and swellings, but were quickly pronounced fit to go home.

The plane had just reached its assigned altitude—37,000 feet—and the crew were serving food when the incident happened.

The turbulence caused the Airbus A330 jet to drop 1,000 feet.

“I was feeding my child when the airplane shook. I had no time to buckle up,” engineer Alfred Ugot, 29, said. He said he floated in the air and hit his head, breaking a lamp overhead.

“I saw some of my companions in the air,” he added. R. Mercene