Asian Spirit pilots hailed

The Air Transportation Office (ATO) commended yesterday two pilots whose flying skills helped avert a disaster.

ATO chief Adelberrto Yap paid tribute to Capt. Carlos Kintanar, pilot-in-command, and First Officer Richard Barredo, who were manning the cockpit of an Asian Spirit twin-engine turbo-prop plane that was forced to belly-land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last Friday after a malfunction.

Yap said their presence of mind helped save the lives of 45 passengers, mostly Korean tourists headed for Boracay. He added that the professionalism of the two pilots should be emulated by others.

Also receiving commendation from the ATO chief were flight attendants Loradel Manalo and Veronica Espiritu, who kept the passengers calm and prepared them for the emergency landing.

The plane was bound for Catcilan when it lost hydraulic pressure after taking off from the Manila Domestic Airport. It returned to Manila but was unable to land because of a retracted right main landing gear. – Rey Arquiza