Manila: A Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane veered off the runway on Friday (December 10, 2021) during landing in Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) during landing in heavy rain.
No one was hurt in the incident, PAL said in a statement, after its flight PR2369 had a "runway excursion" at 11:40 am. The De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop plane is operated by PAL Express with registry number RP-C5911.
"All 29 passengers and 4 crew members (2 pilots and 2 cabin crewmembers) are safe and were able to disembark from the airplane using the aircraft’s airstairs," the airline stated.
The aircraft originated from Caticlan. In a statement GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. said the PAL aircraft went off the paved surface and skidded off to a grassy portion of the runway of the Mactan Cebu International Airport after it landed at MCIA.
The incident temporarily halted Manila-to-Cebu flights but they have since resumed after the plane was towed away, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna was quoted as saying.
"We affirm that safety is our top priority and that Philippine Airlines is fully cooperating with the concerned airport and aviation authorities," the carrier said. "Our operations teams are assisting the passengers and will provide assistance and support as needed," PAL said.
PAL management also apologised for the inconvenience caused by the partial blockage of the runway.
Runway excursions have three usual causes: pilot error, poor weather, or fault with the aircraft. Runway excursion is the most common type of landing accident, according to the Flight Safety Foundation.
The airline thanked airport authorities and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for "spearheading the towing of the aircraft back into the runway surface."
