| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 2, 1998 |
| Type | Pilot error |
| Site | Mount Sumagaya, Philippines |
| Passengers | 99 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 104 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 |
| Operator | Cebu Pacific Air |
| Tail number | RP-C1507 |
| Flight origin | Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines |
| Stopover | Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, Tacloban, Philippines |
| Destination | Lumbia Airport, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines |
Cebu Pacific Flight 387(5J387) was a domestic Cebu Pacific Air flight from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City on Mindanao Island. On February 2, 1998, the 31-year old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 crashed on the slopes of Mount Sumagaya in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, killing all 104 people on board.[1] The crash was one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the Philippines, and the deadliest at that time. [2]
Colonel Jacinto Ligot was the chief of the Philippine Air Force rescue team, which faced difficulties due to the deep ravines and dense vegetation on the slopes of the mountain. The pilots were flying visually not instrumentally when the plane vanished from radar.[3] While the skies were clear at the airport, the mountains may have been covered by fog. Chief of Staff General Clemente Mariano speculated that the plane "almost cleared the top of the mountain, but it may have suffered a down-draft, causing it to hit the mountain."[2]
The plane left Manila at 0100 GMT and was scheduled to arrive at 0303 GMT in Cagayan de Oro. The plane made a stop at Tacloban on 0220 GMT, though sources differ about whether it was a scheduled or unscheduled stop.[2][4] The last contact was 15 minutes before the plane was due to land, with the airport tower. In that call, the pilot said he was 68 kilometres (42 mi) from the airport and was starting to descend. There was no indication that the plane was in trouble. The plane crashed 45 kilometres (28 mi) away from the airport.[2]
The plane carried five crew members and 99 mostly Filipino passengers, including five children. Five passengers were from Australia, Austria, Japan, Switzerland[1] and Canada.[2] Initial reports erroneously indicated 15 people had survived.[1]
Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
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