Manila

Flight 6005 was a scheduled international cargo flight from San Francisco to Saigon with intermediate stops at Honolulu, Guam and Manila. The flight from San Francisco to Honolulu and Guam was uneventful. At 2125 hours GMT on 24 July 1971, the flight took off from Guam for Manila. Initial contact with the flight was established by Manila Control at 2400 hours and the controller provided the flight with the latest weather information for Manila. At 0013 hours the flight reported having passed Jamalig one minute before, being at 67 DME and out of FL 200. It was then handed over by Manila Control to Manila approach control. The approach controller cleared the flight to BA and provided the crew with the following weather information: wind 280°/20 kts, visibility 7 kms, light rain, cloud 3/8 at 4 000 ft and 8/8 at 9 000 ft. At 0018 hours the flight was cleared for a VOR/DME approach to Runway 24 from the Bangbang Intersection and one minute later the flight reported commencing the approach. At 0021 hours the flight reported 22 DME out of 5 000 ft for 4 000 ft and 20 seconds later reaching 4 200 ft. This was acknowledged by the controller who, thereafter was unable to establish contact with the flight. It was subsequently found that at approximately 0023 hours the aircraft collided with Mt Kamunay some 20 miles ENE of the Manila VOR, at an altitude of 2 525 ft. Witnesses residing near the scene of the accident testified that they had heard the sound of an aircraft which ceased in an explosion, followed by two other explosions, one immediately thereafter and the second one a little later. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all four crew members were killed.

The takeoff procedure from Iligan-Maria Christina Airport was attempted by zero visibility due to foggy conditions. For unknown reasons, the airplane was unable to rotate, overran and crashed on sandpile and rockspile. The copilot was killed while several passengers were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

While cruising at an altitude of 10,500 feet, the airplane suffered an explosion. It went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a field located near Cabanatuan. All 36 occupants have been killed.

On final approach to Manila Intl Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground and crashed in flames some 22 km from the runway 24 threshold. A crew member (steward) and a passenger were rescued while 45 other occupants were killed.

After touchdown at Manila Airport, the crew encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance. The airplane overran, lost its undercarriage and came to a halt 75 meters farter. All 31 occupants escaped without injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Flight UM507 was a scheduled domestic flight from Manila International Airport to Lapu-Lapu/Mactan International Airport. Before departure the pilot was briefed by the Air Manila dispatcher on the existence of a cold front across the route and was provided with an en-route weather forecast valid from 1200 to 2400 hours which mentioned "Isolated thunderstorm over Eastern Visayas and generally fair elsewhere". No information regarding thunderstorms on the route was given to the pilot. The flight took off from Manila at 1814 hours and was cleared to Mactan at FL 130 by the ATC, via Track 5, Amber 4 and Amber 1. The flight plan proposed an airspeed of 210 kt and an estimated time en route of 1 hour 45 minutes. Normal radio contact was maintained at all time between the flight and the air traffic services. At 1908 hours the flight reported over Romblon at FL 130, estimating Mactan at 1954 hours. This was the last message from the aircraft. Several residents of Ibajay, a coastal town in Aklan, stated that at approximately 1918 hours they had heard a sound similar to that of an aircraft flying at high altitude in a southeast direction along the coastline. They then heard several loud explosions and saw fireballs falling into the sea. They all agreed that the initial fire- ball they saw could not have been the result of a prolonged fire, but rather a small fire which rapidly developed into a large orange-yellow-red ball and then disappeared. After a few moments, smaller fireballs emerged from the large one, some dying out before reaching the sea, some reaching the sea and developing into a large fire. At the same time a large object resembling an airplane was seen to emerge from thick clouds and fall into the sea followed by a trail of smaller objects. Approximately one hour later two bodies were recovered from approximately 2 km offshore of Bo. Colong-Colong, Ibajay, Aklan.

On final approach to Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, following an uneventful cargo flight from Manila, the four engine aircraft collided with a US Air Force McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom registered 65-0861. Its crew (two pilots) was returning to Saigon following a supply mission. After the collision, both aircraft went out of control and crashed about 6 km from the runway threshold. While both pilots of the Phantom were able to eject safely, all seven occupants on board the Constellation were killed.

Flight 345 was a scheduled domestic flight from Manila to Mactan. It departed Manila at 1720 hours on an IFR clearance direct to Mactan, via Amber 1 at flight level 130. At 1908 hours the flight reported to Mactan Control Approach that it was descending through FL 70. It was cleared to FL 50, given an altimeter setting of 29.81 in Hg and requested to report at FL 60. At 1909 hours the flight requested a visual descent from FL 50 to 30 and at 1913 hours it reported commencing a VOR approach to runway 04. At 1917 hours the flight reported on final and Mactan Approach cleared the flight to land, giving the wind as 330'15 kt. The flight acknowledged the clearance and this was the last communication from the aircraft. Whilst on a long final approach commenced from a height of 1 500 feet approximately 4 miles from the runway threshold, the aircraft suddenly assumed a nose-high attitude and additional power was applied. A crew member then came out of the cockpit and spoke in the direction of a number of supernumerary crew travelling in the passenger compartment instructing them to move forward. Moments later a flight attendant came from the cockpit and instructed everybody to move forward. Before all the passengers could comply, the air- craft started banking alternately to the right and left, descending in a tail low attitude and crashed at approximately 1918 hours 0.9 miles before the threshold of runway 04. At 1919 hours the aerodrome controller observed a fire near-the approach end of runway 04 and alerted the emergency services. All four crew members and eight passengers were killed, seven others survived.

During the takeoff roll at Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, the right main gear and the nose gear collapsed for unknown reason. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. While all four crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Flight AM101 was a scheduled domestic flight from Manila to Legaspi. It took off from Manila International Airport at 1505 hours. At 1640 hours it established initial contact with Legaspi Radio, reported 7 minutes north-west of the field and requested weather and landing information. Legaspi Radio transmitted the following information: 1600H surface wind 0400/8 kt, visibility 5 km clouds 6 oktas 450 metres, 8 oktas 2,100 metres; temperature 24°, dewpoint 24°, runway in use 06 QNH 29.81 inches. At 1707 hours the flight requested information regarding the traffic in the circuit and was informed that there was none. At 1715 hours the sound of an aircraft, presumably AM101, was heard south of the airport but the aircraft was hardly visible. At 1716 hours the flight inquired again about the present weather and the 1700 hours weather observation was passed to the aircraft. Subsequent inquiry about present visibility, wind direction and speed was made by the flight which was advised that the wind was 040 18 kt and the visibility approximately 4 km. At 1718 hours the flight was seen turning for a landing on Runway 24. The landing roll was described by witnesses as unusually fast after the aircraft made a two-wheel touchdown, tail wheel high approximately 300 m after the threshold of Runway 24. Before the tail wheel came into contact with the runway full power was applied and the aircraft was observed airborne. At approximately 200 ft altitude, it initiated a tight left turn, collided with the top of a tree and then hit a building located two miles southwest of Legaspi Airport. Both pilots were killed while all other occupants were injured.