MANILA (Reuters) – A Philippine plane with 80 passengers aboard was seconds away from a crash when a man teaching his girlfriend to drive sped across the runway as the aircraft landed, newspapers reported Tuesday.
The Cebu Pacific plane briefly touched down at Legazpi airport in the central Philippines Saturday but took off again as the van being driven by the couple crossed the runway, the Philippine Star newspaper said.
The man is the son of a local aviation official, who has been ordered suspended from duty.
“It could have been a disaster if not for the presence of mind of a veteran pilot,” Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal told the newspaper.
By: Papa Lima - 20th March 2009 at 06:58
I would sincerely hope that the pilot of any aircraft in which I am flying keeps a good lookout towards the runway when landing! He or she doesn’t need to be a veteran either!
Incidentally that’s how I learned to drive, at the age of 14, but on a DISUSED ex Bomber Command airfield, of which at the time you could take your pick in Lincolnshire!
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March 20, 2009 at 2:14 am