Cebu Pacific plane, pilot grounded after ‘skidding’ incident

MANILA, Philippines—A Cebu Pacific plane that skidded and hit five runway lights after landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Thursday has been grounded as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines investigates the incident.

Cebu Pacific announced on Friday that all its flights would continue as scheduled.

An incident report from the Manila International Airport Authority on Thursday showed that Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 448 from Iloilo landed at 4:16 p.m. but as the plane taxied down Runway 06/24, it skidded to the right and hit five edge lights.

The aircraft, however, was able to continue toward the Terminal 3 ramp to offload its passengers, and it was able to park at Bay 116 by 4:27 p.m.

None of the plane’s 85 passengers were reported hurt in the incident.

“Details on the extent of damage to the aircraft (sic) was not made known to airfield officers. The aircraft will remain at Bay 116 for investigation of 5J safety. [It] will be towed to Bay 107,” said the incident report, signed by airfield officers Richard Borras, Ceasar Dungca and Herman Amaro.

As of Friday, according to Cebu Pacific’s official Twitter account @CebuPacificAir:  “The aircraft is currently undergoing a thorough check, and awaiting release back into service.”

The tweet added that all Cebu Pacific flights “continue to operate as scheduled.”

An advisory from the MIAA media affairs division said CAAP will “investigate the incident and accountability,” while MIAA will assess the “extent of damage for possible claims with Cebu Pacific.”

A radio report  quoted CAAP deputy director Capt. John Andrews as saying that the plane’s pilot, identified in the report only as “J. Palomillo,” was also grounded pending investigation.