Plane hits car, Fence, crashes

A single engine Cessna, making its final landing approach yesterday at the Mactan Cebu International Airport, apparently flew in too low, hit a car on the road outside the airport perimeter fence, clipped the fence and crashed.

The pilot, Captain Mark Calasinao, suffered a bruise on his nose but was otherwise unhurt. His passenger, a male South Korean flight student, was badly shaken but was similarly unharmed.

They were nevertheless taken to the nearby Mactan Doctors Hospital for checkup.

Air Transportation Office Mactan manager Rudy Perez said the twin-seater Cessna, with call sign RP-C269, is owned by Adventure Flight and Sports Education, a flying school.

Perez said the Korean was among 24 students taking their first flying lessons.

Aside from apparently flying too low, it appeared that the plane was not in any kind of trouble as it made its final approach. The crash occurred just minutes after the pilot called the tower for clearance to land.

Just outside the airport perimeter fence in barangay Ibo, Salvador Abadesco, an employee of San Miguel Corporation, was driving home in his new Honda Civic when, to his horror, the planed suddenly loomed in his path just 10 feet ahead.

Abadesco slammed on the brakes but the plane's left wing hit the car's right door and bumper. The plane flew on for some distance before clipping the fence and crashed. Abadesco escaped with no injuries.

The crash caused a massive traffic jam in Ibo.

Airport manager Adelberto Yap admitted that the site of the crash has always been considered a danger zone.

Perez said the cause of the crash is now being investigated and that it was the first aviation accident recorded in the Visayas this year.

He declined to comment on observations that general aviation makes up about 90 percent of all aircraft accidents in the country. - With Ferliza Contratista