What happened
On the evening of the incident, Philippine Airlines flight PR1ly7, an Airbus A320, departed Manila for Bacolod. Prior to departure, it was noted that the thrust reverser on engine number one was non-functional. During the descent toward Bacolod, the crew received instructions to descend to 3,000 feet for a VOR approach to runway 04.
As the aircraft touched down on the runway, the flight crew applied full reverse thrust to engine number two; however, the thrust lever for engine number one remained in the climb power position rather than being moved to idle. This configuration prevented the deployment of the spoilers. As the autothrust system disengaged due to the use of reverse thrust, the power on engine number one increased further.
The resulting asymmetrical thrust caused the Airbus A320 to veer toward the right side of the runway. At the reduced speed of the landing roll, the pilot had limited control via the rudder and nosewheel steering. Although the crew eventually adjusted engine number two out of reverse thrust, which allowed the aircraft to swerve back onto the runway surface, the plane could not be stopped before exiting the runway end. The aircraft subsequently struck the airport perimeter fence, crossed a small river, and crashed through a hollow block fence into several trees and residential structures. There were 0 fatalities and no fire was reported following the impact.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot flying failed to correctly evaluate the aircraft's status immediately after touchdown while operating with an inoperative thrust reverser. This led to a significant imbalance in power during the landing roll, creating the conditions for the excursion. Additionally, the crew demonstrated insufficient understanding of the technical implications regarding the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) requirements.