Blowout on Runway 24

Seven of the 18 tires on a Saudi Arabian Airlines plane burst as it landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday morning, causing the jet to stall on the runway and prompting 45-minute delays for other flights, airport officials said.

The plane, a Boeing 747-400, had 421 passengers and 21 crew members. None of the passengers and crew on Flight 870 from Jeddah were hurt, said Joseph Agustin, chief of the airport security at the NAIA.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) operations personnel Celestino Conel said a formal investigation was being conducted by the Air Transportation Office (ATO). ATO team leader Albert Serrano, with two other ATO personnel, handled the probe.

An initial inspection showed there was no damage to, or debris on, the runway that could have caused the blowout. It is not unusual for aircraft tires to burst on landing if they have been overinflated.

MIAA said this is the first time that seven tires blew up in one incident. The tires that blew up were tire numbers 1,3, 6, 8, 9, 14 and 16.

The seven tires on the 747-400’s main landing gear blew out on touchdown on Runway 24 at 9:55 a.m. It took airport workers about 45 minutes to tow the plane from the runway to the terminal building, delaying the arrival and departure of international and domestic flights at the airport, he said.

Due to the bursting of the tires, the plane was towed to Gate 15 of NAIA arrival area.

Debris were scattered in the runway wherein airport management had to close the runway from 10:02 a.m. until 10:48 a.m.

Four arriving flights were delayed due to the accident. China Airlines flight CI-631 from Taiwan had to be diverted to Cebu City.

Delayed for about 30 minutes for arrival at NAIA were China Airlines flight CI-637 from Kaoshiung, Taiwan, Cathay Pacific Airways flight CX-901 from Hong Kong, and Korean Airlines flight KE 621 from Seoul, Korea. — Sandy Araneta, AFP