All 162 passengers and 11 crew on board a Korean Air Airbus A330 are safe after the aircraft overshot the runway of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (CEB) last night. Flight KE631 which was flying from Seoul Incheon attempted to land twice due to poor weather and visibility before the incident.
As a result, affected flights headed for Cebu were diverted to Manila, Clark, and Davao.
A passenger named A. Brown who took to Twitter to share his experience, he said, “due to weather and plane malfunctions Korean Air #KE631 (likely due to an earlier landing attempt) we were informed to prepare for emergency landing procedures in Cebu at around 11:10-11:25pm local time 10/23/22. We braced ourselves and the pilot landed as best as possible.”
The flight to CEB took off from Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) at 10:20 UTC. The flight aborted the first approach to runway 22 at CEB at 14:12 UTC, most likely due to bad weather, as there was a thunderstorm in the area with Cumulonimbus clouds at 1800 feet.
The flight crew prepared for a second approach, which was aborted shortly after crossing the runway threshold at 14:26.
The plane then entered a holding pattern for about 30 minutes before attempting a third approach.
The aircraft touched down on runway 22 at 15:08 UTC (23:08 local time) and overran the runway.
The landing distance available (LDA) on Runway 22 is 3310 meters.
Cause of the overshoot
Because the incident occurred only last night, it is unclear why the A330 overshot runway 22 of Mactan Cebu International Airport. It is critical that we wait for the investigation results because there could be several reasons why such an incident occurred. All possibilities are considered, including but not limited to pilot actions, weather conditions, aircraft malfunction, and terrorism.
Importance of flight attendants
Such incidents are what flight attendants train for, and it is their primary responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all passengers, particularly during emergencies. If you’re wondering why the plane wasn’t evacuated right away, there are different types of evacuation depending on the surroundings and situation.
The captain may or may not order an immediate emergency evacuation depending on the circumstances. They must assess the situation and the surrounding area to ensure that all passengers exit safely.
Cabin crew members are highly trained to evacuate passengers safely and efficiently in the event of an emergency landing. Their role is critical because they implement all safety measures on board to ensure that every passenger arrives safely and in one piece.
Expect flight delays
Expect flights to and from Cebu to be delayed or cancelled as a result of the plane still being near the runway. Even if the crippled aircraft is not on the physical runway, it still poses a risk because planes must take off and land from both sides of the active runway. I hope passengers don’t complain about their flights being canceled or diverted. The airline prioritizes your safety.
Korean Air Airbus A330-300 HL7525
The plane involved is an Airbus A330-322 which carries registry HL7525, has been in service with Korean Air for 24 years and 6 months. It was delivered brand new to the airline.
In a statement, Korean Air said, “Flight #KE631 departing from Incheon International Airport on 10/24 headed to Cebu Airport in the Philippines had an accident that diverted the runway due to worsening weather during landing at Cebu Airport. Korean Air is investigating the casualties and the exact cause of the accident. We will provide additional information regarding the confirmation.“
Attribution: Aircraft-safety.net, Simple Flying, Aviation Updates Philippines
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