An aircraft which was reportedly used as an air ambulance by the Philippine's Department of Health in the combat against the coronavirus pandemic, burst into flames as it was taking off from the runway of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, killing everyone on board, Sunday night.
The eight people that were aboard the light aircraft which was bound for Japan were all declared dead. The victims in the aircraft fire included one American passenger and one Canadian passenger. The rest of the fatalities were Filipinos including the pilot, two crew members, a doctor, a nurse, and a flight medic.
It has not been cleared out if the passengers were being airlifted for treatment of COVID-19, but it was reported that the plane was carrying medical supplies to combat the pandemic.
According to Philippine media outlet GMA, the same aircraft is being used by the country's Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) which is chartered by flight company Lionair to transport supplies to the medical workers and health workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis in others parts of the archipelago.
Just a while after the plane exploded, Philippine Senator and head of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Richard Gordon said on Twitter that there were medical teams that have been dispatched to the airport to respond to the crash involving Flight 5880.
The plane caught fire and exploded as it was taking off the NAIA runway 24. — Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) March 29, 2020
Videos of the crash then circulated in social media and firefighters scrambling to put out the bright-orange flames that engulfed the aircraft by spraying chemical foam.
Almost three hours after the accident, the burnt bodies of the victims were still inside the wreckage, while airport authorities were waiting for police investigators to check the crash site before the remains will be moved.
According to Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the plane encountered an unknown technical problem during the take-off. Moreover, the Deputy Director-General for Operations of the organization Capt. Donald Mendoza stated that before the accident, the Manila tower has already expressed alarm and skepticism about the possible inability of the airplane to take flight due to its size.
However, he said that he deemed the aircraft airworthy, thus it was permitted to fly. He also said that all the licenses of the pilots were valid, also noting that the plane has flown just a day before the accident to the Philippine Province of Iloilo in Panay Island to deliver medical supplies.
After the accident, the main runway of the airport was closed. The airport at the time had minimal staffing since there is still an existing air travel restriction as part of the monthlong Luzon lockdown imposed by the country's government to fight the outbreak.
Philippine Authorities ground company's aircrafts after the accident
On Monday, March 30, 2020, the CAAP officials grounded all aircrafts owned by the company which owned the plane which caught fire costing eight lives.
In a statement by the aviation officials, they said that all aircrafts of Lionair Inc. Are to remain grounded while the investigation of the incident is still ongoing.
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