AirAsia Zest Skids Off Kalibo Runway

An AirAsia Zest aircraft bound for Busan, South Korea skidded off the runway at Kalibo International Airport on Thursday afternoon after the pilot miscalculated the runway during a turn prior to take-off resulting in the front tire of the aircraft rolling off the runway. 

Image Source: Skyscraper City Forums/Photographer Unknown

According to Christopher Laxa of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, the incident occurred at approximately 3:15pm leading to the temporary closure of the airport. Four flights had to be diverted as a result of the incident including one Cebu Pacific flight, one PAL Express flight, and two Tigerair flights. 

In an interview with ANC, John Andrews, Deputy Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines explained that during the 180-degree turn of the Airbus A320 aircraft prior to take-off, "there was probably some miscalculation on speed or allowance" on the part of the pilot.

All 144 people on board the aircraft are safe with no injuries reported. The passengers on board the aircraft were tourists returning from a vacation to the popular beach destination, Boracay Island. Although the aircraft has been removed from the runway at Kalibo International Airport, it has not been cleared for flight. The pilot of the aircraft and cabin crew on board are now automatically suspended pending further investigation. Each member of the crew will be required to undergo a medical examination, drug tests, and proficiency checks before they can be cleared. 

Operations at Kalibo International Airport were restored to normal by 5:20pm and AirAsia Zest dispatched a rescue flight to pick up the stranded passengers. An investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority as to the cause of the incident is already underway and the aircraft registered as RP-C8988 is undergoing a complete inspection to determine if it sustained any damage. 

Image Source: Skyscraper City Forums/Photographer Unknown

This is the fourth incident in the last six months involving an aircraft skidding off the runway. In June, a Cebu Pacific aircraft skidded off the runway at Davao International Airport while trying to land in heavy rain. In August, a Tigerair aircraft slid off the runway at Kalibo International Airport after the pilot miscalculated a turn prior to take-off. Most recently, a SkyJet Airlines aircraft overshot the runway on Balesin Island in October after the pilot miscalculated the approach. In all incidents, pilot error was suspected as the cause of the accident. This most recent event follows a long list of incidents that have occurred this year alone calling into question the country's overall aviation safety record and the reliability and training of Philippine air crews.

AirAsia Zest is the newly re-branded name of ZestAir and AirAsia Philippines. The Civil Aviation Authority suspended ZestAir's permit to fly in August without notice for alleged violations of Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations. The suspension was mysteriously lifted three days later after more than 8,000 passengers had been affected by the suspension. ZestAir owner, Alfredo Yao, referred to the suspension as a "misunderstanding." The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is currently attempting to restore the aviation safety rating of the country by the US Federal Aviation Administration back to Category 1 status.