Thursday, January 8, 2009

CebPac plane makes emergency landing

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) A Cebu Pacific plane that experienced engine trouble made an emergency landing about 10 minutes after taking off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila Wednesday morning.

Flight 5J 893, bound for Caticlan, Aklan, landed safely at around 7:21 a.m. on the NAIA 1’s Runway 06 and it’s 53 passengers and four crew were unhurt, according to Manila International Airport Authority media affairs chief Connie Bungag.

The MIAA, which runs NAIA, said the pilot reported a problem in the ATR-72-500 propeller-plane’s right engine.

The passengers disembarked at the runway while the plane was moved to parking bay 114 Alpha at NAIA Terminal 3.

“The pilot noticed alarm lights blinking on the instrument panel which warned that something was wrong with the engine. He followed aviation procedures and prepared for emergency landing,” Cebu Pacific vice president for communications Candice Iyog later told reporters.

A statement from the airline issued around noon said all the 53 passengers were given travel vouchers and took another Cebu Pacific flight for Caticlan via Kalibo two hours later.

“The engine of the 11-month-old ATR 72-500 aircraft will be checked by an international maintenance crew from Cebu Pacific and the aircraft’s manufacturer, a subsidiary of Airbus’ parent company,” the statement read.

Caticlan and Kalibo are the gateways for tourists bound to the world-renowned resort island of Boracay.

Cebu Pacific has other spare planes and does not expect any delay in the airlines’ flight schedule this week, according to Iyog.

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