Plane breaks landing gear upon touchdown

The landing gear of a small plane broke as it touched down in the central Philippines yesterday, blocking the runway and delaying flights carrying tourists bound for popular Boracay island, an official said.

The left landing gear of the plane, owned by domestic budget carrier Interisland Airline, broke on landing, causing the plane to swerve and get stuck on the grassy shoulder at Caticlan airport in Aklan province, airport manager Efren Nagrama said.

The two pilots and a flight attendant were unhurt, Nagrama told The Associated Press by telephone. The 36-seater plane was not carrying any passengers at the time and had flown from Manila to pick up a group of foreign tourists.

The plane, its left wing damaged, partially blocked the runway, prompting authorities to close the airport. Three incoming flights were diverted and five outgoing ones were delayed, he said.

Airport personnel towed the plane away after three hours, allowing flights to resume, he said.

Caticlan’s airport handles about 90 incoming and outgoing flights a day because of the droves of tourists traveling to nearby Boracay island, a top tourist draw. Caticlan is about 300 kilometers south of Manila. — AP, Ronilo Pamonag