A Cebu Pacific plane was forced to turn back to Manila Airport on Wednesday after the pilot reported an issue with the right engine in the ATR-72-500 propeller-plane.
Flight 5J 893 was carrying 53 passengers and four crew when it took off for Caticlan, Aklan on Wednesday morning from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Some ten minutes in to the flight, the pilot noticed the right engine’s indicator lights were showing that something was wrong, and so turned back and requested an emergency landing.
“He followed aviation procedures and prepared for emergency landing,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Vice President Communications, in a local radio interview.
“The landing was normal. All 53 passengers were accommodated to the next flight. Suffice it to say, everything that happened was done on procedure and we were able to land safely.”
Cebu Pacific said that the plane would be checked by an international maintenance crew from both Cebu Pacific and the aircraft’s manufacturer.
“All the 53 passengers were given travel vouchers and took another flight to leave Manila two hours later,” added the airline in a media statement.