Close call! Plane lands 60 metres over end of runway on holiday island
Filed under: Travel News
Share
Text Size
A
A
A
AFP
A plane carrying more than 140 people narrowly missed nearby houses when it overshot the runway at an airport serving one of the Philippines' most popular tourist destinations.
An Airphil Express Airbus A320 plane from Manila ended up 60 metres over the edge of the runaway next to housing after it overshot its landing at the airport in Kalibo, on the island of Panay, in the central Philippines, according to AFP.
Kalibo Airport is the gateway for both local and foreign tourists to the world famous island resort of Boracay.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, civil aviation authority spokeswoman Floramel Joy Fongsong said the airport was temporarily closed while the plane was towed away, and that nobody was injured.
Airphil Express is a low-cost sister carrier to national flag-carrier Philippines Airlines.
World's scariest airports
- Princess Julianna Airport, St Maarten<p> A gateway airport to many smaller Caribbean islands including St Barts and Anguilla, planes landing at St Maarten Airport provide a great photo opportunity from Maho beach.</p> <p> Skimming over the beach towards the 2,300m runway, this stretch of coastline sees a lot of daily traffic with the airport servicing around about 100,000 flights a year.</p>
- Congonhas Airport, Brazil<p> Located around five miles from the centre of Sao Paulo, Congonhas is one of the busiest airports in Brazil. The proximity to the city centre means it may feel like you're skimming the tops of skyscrapers as you land and take off.</p>
- Gibraltar Airport<p> One of Gibraltar's busiest roads, Winston Churchill Avenue, crosses directly over the runway for North Front airport. This means that the road can be closed for around two hours a day - mainly servicing planes to and from the UK. A tunnel under the runway is due to be completed in 2012.</p>
- Toncontin Airport, Honduras<p> Landing at Toncontin Airport is particularly challenging for pilots due to its proximity to the mountains. In 2008 after a tragic plane crash, the airport was closed to international traffic. A major review of airport safety took place and in May 2009 a runway extension was completed. But despite this, it still has one of the shortest international runways in the world.</p>
- La Aurora Airport, Guatemala<p> An approach to this airport means traversing mountainous terrain and this sometimes involves flying over occasionally active volcanoes. A recent eruption from the Pacaya volcano in 2010 caused the airport to close.</p>
- Caracas Airport, Venezuela<p> Located in the Maiquetia region of Caracas, this international airport handles flights to many important cities in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. Its proximity to buildings and mountains make it a technically difficult landing strip.</p>
- Ice Runway, Antarctica<p> Used mainly by the US Antarctica Program during the summer, this sea-ice runway has to be constructed every year as it melts around December time. Pilots who've landed on the ice say it's much like landing on concrete initially, but when the plane comes to a standstill its wheels sink a into the ice. <a href="http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/06/09/revealed-the-worlds-worst-airlines/" target="_blank"><strong>Don't miss our feature: Revealed! The world's worst airlines!</strong></a></p>
- Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong<p> Pilots had to be extremely skilled to negotiate numerous skyscrapers and mountains before landing on a runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour.</p> <p> Between 1925 and 1998 Kai Tak served as the main airport in Hong Kong. It has now been replaced by a new airport at Chek Lap Kok.</p>
Sign up to our weekly newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook
