MANILA, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has suspended the pilot and co-pilot of the Cebu Pacific aircraft that overshot the runway of the Davao International Airport early this month.
Captain Roel Oropesa has been suspended for six months and is prohibited from being a first-in-command pilot for one year, according to CAAP Deputy Director General John Andrews.
“After the lapse of the six-month suspension and compliance with the requirements for the reinstatement of the Airline Transport Pilot License, [Oropesa] will act only as Second-In-Command for a period of one year," Andrews said at a televised press briefing on Tuesday.
First Officer Edwin Perello, the co-pilot of the Cebu Pacific Flight 5J-971, has also been suspended for three months.
The CAAP released the results of its probe on the runway mishap, affirming the initial theory that pilot error caused the incident.
Andrews said the two pilots failed to observe the procedures for emergency evacuation demonstration and in the cockpit checklist in landing the plane.
Citing regulations prohibiting planes from landing due to zero visibility, Andrews said the pilots proceeded to land the aircraft on the runway amid the heavy rains.
On the evening of June 2, the ill-fated Airbus A-320 plane, which was from Manila, had just touched down at the Davao International Airport when it veered off the centerline of the runway and nose-dived into a ditch.
The plane was stalled in the airport's runway for two days, disrupting flight schedules and causing an estimated loss of about P250 million in the local economy.