Philippine plane overshoots runway

Philippine plane overshoots runway

MANILA (AP): A domestic airplane, carrying 51 people, overshot a runway in an eastern province on Monday but was able to stop, missing a concrete airport fence by a few meters, officials said.

All passengers were unhurt but officials failed to immediately remove the YS-11 turbo prop plane from the runway, delaying the departure of another plane at the airport in Virac town, Catanduanes province, officials said.

The plane, owned by local carrier Asian Spirit, landed normally after its flight from Manila but apparently lost its brakes as it prepared to turn to a taxi way en route to the airport terminal, said Avelardo Abundo, the air transport office chief in Catanduanes.

The pilot managed to stop the plane about five meters from a concrete fence by applying emergency brakes, Abundo said, adding the passengers disembarked calmly and walked to the passenger terminal, he said.