Accident Overview
On December 13, 1987, Philippine Airlines Flight 443, a Short 360-300, operated an early morning domestic flight from Mactan–Cebu International Airport to Malabang Airport, with an intermediate stop planned at Iligan's Maria Cristina Airport. The aircraft departed Cebu at 6:42 a.m. local time, 17 minutes behind schedule. At 7:17 a.m., during the approach to Runway 02 at Iligan, the flight made its final radio contact. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft struck the side of Mount Gurain, a peak approximately 5,000 feet (1,500 m) high near the airport. The impact destroyed the aircraft beyond repair. All 15 persons on board—11 passengers and 4 crew members—died.
Crew
The flight crew consisted of Captain Roberto L. Sarenas, Captain Pastor Quebral, First Officer Abelardo Villarba, and stewardess Antoinette Lim.
Search and Recovery
Following the accident, Philippine Airlines dispatched three aircraft to trace the flight's route, while the Philippine Air Force contributed two Huey helicopters to assist in the search. However, inclement weather in the area delayed the efforts. The wreckage was located five days later, on December 19. Ground troops at the site reported that some victims had missing limbs and others were badly burned. There were also reports that the crash site had been looted.