People’s Journal
Sunday, December 6, 1998
PHILIPPINE Airlines Flight No. 502 which originated from Singapore had a smooth landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday.
But its passengers and crew had a tale of horror.
The plane, which carried 260 persons aboard, mostly overseas contract workers, dropped from an altitude of 37,000 to 27,000 feet after experiencing air turbulence more than an hour after takeoff.
The turbulence occurred as the aircraft neared Vietnam and Thailand.
No one died but some of the passengers and its pilot, Capt. Alfredo Magbanua, who were apparently caught unawares— their seatbelts were not fastened — suffered bruises, deep cuts, and some broken bones when they slammed into the plane's ceiling because of the 1,000 foot fall.
Magbanua said there were 10 passengers in the business class; 240 at the economy, including three infants. There were 10 crewmembers.
A passenger related that a flight attendant was serving food when the plane experienced the turbulence at around 11:55 am. He said they thought it was the end.
The injured were later rushed to NAIA clinic for first-aid treatment as soon as the plane landed.
Jonathan Alba, PAL duty manager at NAIA, said a similar case was experienced by another PAL plane in Japan two months ago.
He said air turbulence was a usual occurrence and — there was no way of avoiding it because the radar equipment located near the cockpit does not give any indication.
Virgilio Cipriano, Air Transportation Office Duty Officer, said the plane's crew did not alert the ATO Aviation Safely about any untoward incident.
Rey de la Cruz, NAIA Ground Service Division Officer, also said there were no reports of an emergency landing or calls to the fire and rescue teams at the airport. Rose Garcia
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