CAAP probes incident involving aircraft stalled at Kalibo Airport

by Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is now investigating the incident involving an aircraft that got stalled at the end of runway 05/23 of the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) Wednesday night.

“AIIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Inquiry Board) officers are now conducting investigation. Results will determine if the airline violated safety procedures,” CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday.

He said what happened was a runway excursion, which means the aircraft went out from the main runway.

“The soil at the edge of the runway is soft, that’s why the aircraft got stalled,” Apolonio added.

Operations at KIA were temporarily stopped at around 6:04 p.m. Wednesday due to the incident.

Far Eastern Air flight FE321 from Taipei had 122 passengers. All were safe and unharmed, according to CAAP.

CAAP’s initial report said the aircraft “overextended to the grassy area during execution of 180 degree turn” and was towed to a remote parking bay.

Normal operations at KIA resumed 7:34 p.m. Wednesday.