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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/22 September) – The Philippine Airlines (PAL) has cancelled on Saturday its morning flight from this city bound for Manila, and grounded the airplane after crewmen found bloodstains believed to be that of a bird on its engine.
Celso Bayabos, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines local manager, said that ground crew noticed bloodstains at the plane’s engine while PAL flight PR124 was about to take-off shortly before 7 a.m.
Bayabos said the passengers of flight PR124 were transferred to the 7 p.m. PAL flight from this city to Manila.
“PAL flight PR124, scheduled to depart 6:55 a.m. today from Zamboanga to Manila, was cancelled after its engine showedindications of a bird strike during aircraft inspection prior to departure,” PAL stated in its media bulletin Saturday.
PAL said that the bird strike incident was believed to have occurred during the preceding flight, PR123, which departed Manila at 4:43 a.m. and arrived in Zamboanga at 6:18 a.m. Saturday.
The cancelled PR124 flight, an Airbus A319 carrying 101 passengers, will remain grounded until further notice, PAL added.
Bayabos said that PAL is sending aircraft technicians from Manila to inspect the Airbus A319 that remains at the Zamboanga International Airport’s tarmac.
Bird strikes are a significant threat to flight safety, and have caused a number of accidents with human casualties, reports said. (MindaNews)
