THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) will summon two pilots who made an emergency landing at the Bicol International Airport (BIA) on Wednesday.
Capt. Pedro F. Pangilinan Jr. and First Officer Jasper P. Ferguson, were heading to Legaspi from Manila at the controls of an executive jet, a Gulfstream G200, when the duo decided to land on the runway of the BIA, which is undergoing construction.
The Gulfstream G200 was reportedly chartered by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and operated by Asian Aerospace.
Reports said the plane was forced to land at the BIA, which is still undergoing construction, when the Gulfstream jet encountered a sudden downdraft, which the Caap erroneously reported as a wind drop.
A downdraft is defined as a current of air common in cumuliform clouds and poses risks to light aircraft and helicopters, especially those flying near the ground.
Caap Spokesman Eric Apolonio said in a text message to BusinessMirror that Pangilinan and Ferguson with four others were not hurt during the incident. However, Apolonio said the names of the four passengers were withheld “due to privacy issues.”
The plane, he said, was still in the grassy area of the BIA where Caap aircraft investigators were on hand to investigate the cause of the incident. The result of the investigation would not be released until at least a month, the Caap said.
Apolonio said investigators will have to gather evidence, the pilot communication to radio tower, and the aircraft. “It really takes time before the agency releases an official incident report,” Apolonio said.
A retired pilot, who refused to be identified, said a downdraft can temporarily affect an aircraft in flight, but the aircraft would resume to normal operations after adjusting to a new wind speed. However, he said, if the plane was hit by a strong downdraft, and there was damage to the plane, or any of the passengers get hurt, then the pilot would be forced to make an emergency landing.
Caap rules require pilots to report any untoward incident within 24 hours.