Rough PAL Flight Leaves Dozens Hurt

Manila Standard

Sunday, December 6, 1998

More than 20 passengers and crew members aboard Philippine Airlines Flight PR 502 were seriously injured yesterday after the plane hit turbulence an hour after take-off from Singapore’s Changi airport.

Due to a sudden altitude drop of 1,000 feet, passengers who were not wearing seatbelts and some of the cabin crew were hurt, with injuries ranging from a broken neck, to back, shoulder and leg fracture and bruises.

Jose Gonzales of Toledo City in Cebu province sustained a broken neck and was rushed to the Makati Medical Center.

According to PAL Management, the plane “was cruising at 37,100 feet under clear skies when it encountered the turbulence. The aircraft, a A330-300 commanded by Capt. Alfredo Magbanua with First Officer Jesus Garcia, suddenly dropped to 36,000 feet before it could be corrected” at around 11:15 a.m.

The PAL flight carrying 223 passengers landed safely at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 1:45 p.m. yesterday.

PAL purser Neha Gastrock recounted that “at 11:15 a.m. after we took off from Changi Airport in Singapore, we encountered what we call in the airlines ‘clear air turbulence.’

Clear air because the radar did not indicate anything to give us a warning so we continued serving food to passengers.”

“We couldn’t believe it because next thing we knew, the food trolleys and all foodstuffs were flying all over us. The passengers who were not wearing seatbelts hit the ceiling and some of our flight attendants were hurt as well,” a still trembling Gastrock told airport reporters.

PAL said Air Transport Office officials have been notified of the incident and called in to inspect the craft.

Eddie Diesta, 41, a generator technician who attended a seminar in Singapore told newsmen that the air pocket the plane hit had shocked all the passengers.

Some of whom hit the ceiling and walls of the plane due to the force of impact.

Speaking in Tagalog, Diesta said, “It got scary when the ceiling began to come apart and those of us who were not wearing seatbelts hit each other.”

Adding that, he was thankful that the PAL cabin crew was able to calm down the panicked passengers.

“This experience was awful and we thought we were going to crash because the plane did not stop going down.” Said computer engineer Fred Ogot, who suffered from wounds on his left leg.

The injured flight attendants who were identified as: Mark Anthony Santos, Marjorie Esguerra, Marlyn Enriquez and Inez Pastor.

Among those who suffered bruises and were brought to Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) medical clinic were Mila Manweller, Laila Mateo, Adelina Padilla, Anolo Generalgo, Cecile Capili, Alfredo Ogot, Salvacion Armealer, Leticia Prajio, Marian dela Vega, Salvador Padilla, Fronda Fernandez, Mariano Tedrito, Angelina Villegas, Benilda Caldejo, Salvacion Acansaline, Leticia Prageo, Emily Batonea, and Rosemarie Anyog. Lolit Rivera-Acosta and Maning Silva