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A Cebu Pacific Airbus carrying 165 persons on board from Manila veered off the runway here shortly after initiating touchdown around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, damaging its nose gear and left engine.
Airport manager Frederick San Felix told a national radio interview Monday morning that all passengers on board flight 5J 971 were evacuated safely and not one was brought to the hospital.
He said the plane was “in a landing mode” but it veered off course to the right at about 1,100 meters on Runway 23 where its nose touched ground.
“At visual observation, its left engine has been partially damaged, and its nose [landing] gear collapsed,” he said.
San Felix said the plane cannot be removed until investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) finish their probe. CAAP probers from Manila were expected to arrive early Monday afternoon here.
Flights to and from Davao were diverted to the nearest airport, General Santos City, located 150 kilometers south of here and a three-hour trip by land.
San Felix said Cebu Pacific officials told him that they would send equipment to remove the aircraft but he said all of these items would be expected to arrive via General Santos City.
He assured that the Davao airport has its own equipment and could coordinate with other persons or offices to get all the necessary equipment to remove the aircraft after the CAAP investigation.
He said the aircraft should be removed from the runway on or before 8 p.m. Monday.