A medical evacuation flight has crashed at Manilla Airport in the Philippines. The IAI Westwind jet was reportedly chartered by the Philippine government to evacuate a sick patient to Tokyo.
The jet, which had registration number RP-C5880, was scheduled to take off from Manilla’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 8pm on Sunday. Before making it off the tarmac, the plane caught fire, overshooting the runway as flames billowed from its wrecked hull. Fire crews extinguished the blaze within an hour.
#developing RP-C5880, an aircraft chartered by Philippine Department of Health, crash-landed/overshot the runway at MNL (NAIA). Reports say its carrying medical supplies. #COVID19 #SARS_COV_2 pic.twitter.com/peqgwiBJFl
— MikeGo (@MikeGo6671) March 29, 2020
WATCH: An aircraft reportedly carrying medical supplies caught on fire while it was about to take off at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) around 8 p.m. According to BFP, fire was already out at 9:02 p.m. @inquirerdotnet (Sourced video) pic.twitter.com/8w38t1qVTi
— Dexter Cabalza (@dexcabalzaINQ) March 29, 2020
According to local reporter Dexter Cabalza, the plane was carrying a crew of eight, including three medics and one patient. The condition of the passengers and crew are unknown, and it is unknown whether the patient was infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Lion Air Plane RPC 5880
Caught fire and exploded at the NAIA Runway 24 while taking off.
Itinerary: Tokyo, Haneda
Msn: Medevac
Passengers:
1 flight med
1 nurse
1 doctor
3 flight crew (2 pilots, 1 crew)
1 patient
1 patient asst.— Eugene Bautista (@Tleilaxu_Mentat) March 29, 2020
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Source: RT