Birdstrike halts PAL aircraft at Davao airport

The stalled Philippine Airlines aircraft PR-2814 at the F. Bangoy International Airport in Davao City following an apparent birdstrike on one of its engines on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2018.
(Photo by Christine Dompor)

DAVAO CITY — A flight of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) bound for Manila was canceled here when a bird was caught in one of its engines while it was about to take off, civil aviation authorities said.

Agnes Udang, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Davao manager, said the Manila-bound PR Flight 2814 canceled its flight when the accident happened at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport past 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

The plane was scheduled to leave Davao at 1:05 p.m. when the birdstrike happened.

“The aircraft was in the position to take off when an (airborne) bird hit it,” Udang told reporters, adding bird feathers were found in one of the plane’s engines.

The Airbus A321 taxied back to the terminal and unloaded its passengers, who were promptly attended to by airline personnel, Udang said.

She said no one was hurt in the mishap.

Christine Dompor, tourism officer of Compostela Valley who was among the passengers, described her ordeal as “scary.”

“Imagine braking the craft at high speed. We tumbled forward and my colleague whose seatbelt was unbuckled flew off her seat. That was a scary ride that everybody was speechless,” Dompor wrote on Facebook.

Despite the scare, Dompor said everybody on the plane was alright and that they were waiting for their flight to be rebooked.

The Philippines’ flag carrier confirmed the incident, saying the birdstrike crippled the aircraft’s right engine.

Udang said other flights were not hampered by the incident.

The plane has remained grounded as maintenance personnel were being called in to check on the aircraft, she added. /je