Manila-bound PAL plane figures in near collision at LA airport

MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Manila figured in a near collision with a Qantas passenger jet while about to take off at the Los Angeles International Airport last week, witnesses said.

Nobody was injured. Among the passengers was former education secretary Jesli Lapus.

Businessman Tots Garcia, a passenger sitting in the right side of the business class, said the Boeing 747 was taxiing and only seconds from takeoff at around 9:40 p.m. when a Qantas Airbus suddenly crossed its path.

“Suddenly, the plane was braking and we were jolted from our seats,” he said in a telephone interview.

“I thought something bad was going to happen. Thank God we’re all okay.”

Garcia said he saw the Qantas jet pass by the right side as the plane was slowing down.

“We were all inside waiting what could happen next and in about 10 minutes or less, they all came, ambulances, fire trucks, and rescue personnel,” he said.

Garcia said the plane’s six tires blew out and he saw smoke coming from underneath the fuselage.

He saw firefighters spraying foam on the tires that blew out, and medics came aboard asking if anyone was hurt, he added.

Garcia said after a while, the passengers were let off using the mobile stairs.

Passengers waited two to three days before they were able to return to Manila, he added.