Air Transport

A busy airport in the Philippines was closed for around 5hr on 11 January after a passenger aircraft landed too short on the runway, skidded out of control and crashed into a concrete barrier, resulting in 22 of the 27 people on board being sent to hospital.

A spokeswoman for Caticlan airport says the accident occurred at or around 06:58 and the airport re-opened at 12:15 that day once the aircraft's debris was cleared from the runway.

She says the Xian Aircraft MA60 turboprop, operating from Manila to Caticlan by local commercial airline Zest Airways, landed too short on the runway.

It then skidded out of control and crashed nose first into a concrete barrier next to parking bay one, says the spokeswoman, adding that the aircraft is still there.

A photograph of the aircraft, with the local registration RP-C8893, shows extensive damage to its wing, landing gear, undercarriage and to at least one of the two engines.

The spokeswoman says on impact the aircraft caught fire but fire crews were able to quickly contain it.

She says of the 27 people on board, 22 were taken to hospital for treatment and at least 17 were found to be injured.

The two pilots were among the injured but all those taken to hospital have since been discharged except for one woman who was airlifted to another hospital, says the spokeswoman.

Philippine civil aviation investigators have inspected the wreckage, taken photographs and retrieved data, adds the spokeswoman.

Zest Airways, previously known as Asian Spirit, operates scheduled passenger services to Caticlan, near the holiday island of Boracay.

It last year ordered five Chinese-made MA60s and only started operating the 50- to 60-seat aircraft late last year.