Manila

Flight 741 was a scheduled domestic flight from Manila to Tacloban with stopovers at Legaspi and Calbayog. The aircraft took off from runway 13 at Manila at 1032 hours Philippines local time with the co-pilot flying the aircraft from the right hand seat. When airborne he ordered the pilot-in-command to raise the landing gear. After having done so the pilot-in-command noticed that the aircraft was veering slightly to the left although the indications of the engine instruments were normal. The co-pilot stated that the right rudder seemed to be jammed. The pilot-in-command then took over the controls. At this time the aircraft was continuously and gradually turning and banking to the left. The pilot-in-command then ordered the co-pilot to check the engine instruments again, and their indications were found to be normal. Both engines were at MET0 power setting and the airspeed was 110 mph. When the aircraft reached 150 ft above the ground, at a heading of 050° and an airspeed of 85 to 90 mph, the left bank and turn were momentarily checked and the right rudder pedal was then forward. The co-pilot attempted to call the control tower, but the transmission was garbled. The aircraft then went back to its left bank attitude in spite of the effort of the pilot-in-command to control the turn. When he noticed that the airspeed had dropped to between 85 to 90 mph he pushed the control yoke to gain airspeed but there was no reaction. At this time the pilot-in- command felt that the left wing had hit something. He tried in vain to control and keep the aircraft in the air. The plane crashed on barracks. A passenger was killed while 10 other people were injured, among them five people on the ground. All other occupants were unhurt.

Flight 43 was a non-scheduled domestic flight from Manila International Airport to Naga-Pili Airport. It took off from Manila at 0943 hours, Philippine local time, on a DVFR flight plan at 7,500 ft. Estimated time en route was 1:10 hours. At 1010 hours the flight reported over Alabat at 5 500 ft, estimating arrival at Pili Airport at 1045 hours. No difficulties were reported by the crew. This was the first and last message from the flight. At 1515 hours a communication search was initiated. Alert phase and distress phase were respectively declared at 1350 and 1455 hours, then an aerial search was initiated which continued up to the receipt of the information from the two survivors that the aircraft had crashed and burned on the steep and thickly forested slope of Mt. Tangcong Vaca (height: 2,480 ft). The site of the accident was 19 NM north-west of Pili Airport, at approximately 1500 ft AMSL. The accident occurred at approximately 1030 hours.

The aircraft was on a non-scheduled flight from Kalibo to Manila. It took off from runway 05 at 1740 hours Philippine local time and the co-pilot testified that the take-off was normal and all engine instruments were indicating within normal operating range throughout the take-off and during the initial climb. He further testified that approximately 20 minutes after take-off, severe vibration and misses, decreasing oil pressure and increasing oil temperature of the left-hand engine, were noted as the airplane was climbing to 2,200 feet. The left-hand engine was shut down, its propeller feathered, and shortly after the pilot-in-command reversed course and descended with the intention of landing at either Kalibo or Roxas Airports. Neither airport was rated for night operations. The flight proceeded to Kalibo. Precipitation was encountered on the way and the visibility was so poor that the crew failed to make visual contact with Kalibo Airport. At 1823 hours, a climb to 2,000 feet was attempted to clear the terrain on the way to Bacolod Airport, the nearest airport available for night operations. However, with METO power on the remaining engine, the aircraft not only failed to climb but also failed to maintain altitude with the airspeed decreasing to 80 mph. Several attempts to climb were made but were discontinued due to pre-stall warning. At 1835 hours with 500 feet altitude, the pilot-in-command decided to ditch and warned the passengers accordingly. At 1839 hours, the ditching was attempted but the airplane collided with coconut trees located approximately 500 feet from the Barrio Camansi Norte shoreline and crashed on the muddy bed of an abandoned fishpond on a heading of 300°, approximately 160 feet from the point of initial collision. The accident occurred around 1840 hours.

Shortly after takeoff from Manila-Intl Airport, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in the suburb of Parañaque located south of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed while there were no casualties on the ground. The crew was involved in a local training flight at the time of the accident.

While flying in poor weather conditions on a flight from Iloilo City to Manila, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Baco located in the occidental Mindoro province. The wreckage was found a week later, on the east slope of the mountain, at an altitude of 1,829 meters. All 33 occupants were killed in the crash. At the time of the accident, the airplane was off course by 51 km and weather conditions were poor with thunderstorm activity.

While the flight was en route between Okinawa and the Philippine Islands, the No. 2 engine experienced an appreciable power loss followed by overspeeding of the propeller. The crew instituted emergency procedures but was unable to control or feather the propeller. The propeller separated from the engine with a resulting nose section fire. Attempts to extinguish the fire failed, and the crew elected to ditch the aircraft. The ditching was accomplished at night during a rainstorm and while under Instrument conditions. All 58 occupants, including the 7 crew members, successfully evacuated the aircraft. Of these, 44 suffered minor injuries and one woman passenger died.

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from San Francisco, California to Singapore with numerous intermediate stops including Manila, The Philippines. It carried a crew of 8 and 49 passengers including one infant. At 21 23 hours (1 June) GMT the aircraft landed on Runway 06 at Manila. During the landing roll, the main landing gears of the aircraft collapsed. The aircraft skidded and swerved to the right until it finally settled on the right shoulder of the runway approximately 2 850 ft from the west end and 27 ft from the edge of the runway. One of the blades of No. 3 propeller flew off and penetrated the cabin area causing the death of one passenger and seriously injuring another. The aircraft was seriously damaged.

PI-C626 departed Manila on a non-scheduled flight to Cebu and return with intermediate stops at Marinduque, Iloilo and Bacolod. The flight as far as Bacolod was uneventful. However, shortly after taking-off from Bacolod at 1210LT, and on reaching the height of 5 to 8 ft from the ground, the aircraft banked to the left. The pilot tried to correct the attitude of the aircraft but was unsuccessful. He, therefore decided to crash land the aircraft. There were no fatalities but the pilot and some passengers suffered minor injuries. Fire broke out on impact which destroyed the main front section of the aircraft.

At approximately 0540LT, PI-C622, with 5 passengers and a pilot aboard took off from the Manila International Airport on a charter flight to Ozamis City and return. The aircraft departed Ozamis on the return trip to Manila at approximately 1550LT the same day. At approximately 1830LT, radio contact with the Manila Tower was established and the aircraft reported its position to be over the Province of Batangas, which is about 60 nautical miles SW of Manila and lies on course on the route Ozamis-Manila. On the C-45F Beechcraft it takes about 25 minutes flight time to Manila. The pilot requested information as to the prevailing weather conditions over Manila and vicinity and the weather report as of 1800LT was relayed to and received by the pilot. Further efforts were made by the Tower at 1900LT and 1930LT to contact the aircraft but with negative results. At approximately 2030LT, the Manila Tower received the information from the Rescue Coordinating Centre that the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located on Mt Makiling, in the region of Tanauan, about 45 miles SW of Manila. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed, among them Carlos P. Romulo, son of the US Ambassador in the Philippines. The pilot founded PADC in 1954.
Crew:
Paul L. Gunn, pilot.
Passengers:
Carlos P. Romulo,
Allen O. Gorman,
Raplh L. Tover,
Zane Duncan,
Harold Broad.

On 16 July at 0332 hours local time (15 July - 1802 hours GMT) the aircraft took off from Mokmer aerodrome on the Island of Biak, on a scheduled transport flight to Manila. It carried nine crew members and fifty-nine passengers. A few minutes after take-off the pilot asked the operator in the control tower to keep the runway lights on. Shortly thereafter he requested permission to make a "low run" over the aerodrome. Both requests were granted, In the meantime, the aircraft had made a turn to the right and a turn to the left and was flying in a westerly direction back towards the aerodrome. During this approach the aircraft lost altitude gradually and at 0336 local time it crashed into the sea one kilometer from the shore. It burst into flames, broke apart and sank immediately. Eleven passengers and one stewardess were rescued.The stewardess and one of the surviving passengers died later in hospital.