Air Philippines Flight 541
Encyclopedia
Air Philippines Flight 541 was a domestic Air Philippines
flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport
in Manila
to Davao International Airport in Davao City
. It crashed on April 19, 2000 as it was preparing to land in Davao, killing all 131 people aboard. It was the deadliest air disaster in the history of the Philippines
.
The aircraft, Boeing 737
-2H4, registration RP-C3010, formerly N50SW, previously owned by Southwest Airlines
was first delivered in February 1978. On April 19, 2000, Air Philippines Flight 541, with 131 passengers and crew members, left Manila at 5:21 a.m., flying to Davao City, on Samal Island, about 600 miles southeast of Manila.
As it approached the airport at around 7 a.m., another aircraft was on the runway. Flight 541 began to circle in low clouds, waiting for the plane on the ground to move off the runway. As it circled, Flight 541 slammed into the side of a mountain, 500 feet above sea level. The plane caught fire and disintegrated, killing everyone on board.
Air Philippines
Air Philippines Corporation, now operating as Airphil Express , is a low-cost airline based in Pasay City, in the Philippines. It operates both domestic and international scheduled services from Manila, Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga. The airline was re-branded for a number of times, first as Air...
flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to Davao International Airport in Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
. It crashed on April 19, 2000 as it was preparing to land in Davao, killing all 131 people aboard. It was the deadliest air disaster in the history of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
The aircraft, Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
-2H4, registration RP-C3010, formerly N50SW, previously owned by Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
was first delivered in February 1978. On April 19, 2000, Air Philippines Flight 541, with 131 passengers and crew members, left Manila at 5:21 a.m., flying to Davao City, on Samal Island, about 600 miles southeast of Manila.
As it approached the airport at around 7 a.m., another aircraft was on the runway. Flight 541 began to circle in low clouds, waiting for the plane on the ground to move off the runway. As it circled, Flight 541 slammed into the side of a mountain, 500 feet above sea level. The plane caught fire and disintegrated, killing everyone on board.