What happened
On August 16, 2018, a Boeing 737-800, registration B-5498, was performing a scheduled commercial flight from Xiamen, China, to Manila, Philippines. While attempting to land on Runway 24 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport under instrument meteorological conditions, the flight crew initially aborted the first approach due to poor visibility. A second approach was subsequently executed.
During the second landing attempt, the aircraft began drifting left of the runway centerline. Despite multiple calls for a go-around from the First Officer, the Captain declined the maneuver. As the aircraft neared the ground, the airspeed remained slightly above the target speed. The aircraft touched down 741 meters from the runway threshold, left of the centerline, at approximately 151 knots.
Following touchdown, the aircraft continued its leftward trajectory and exited the paved surface. The landing gear struck several concrete electrical junction boxes located outside the runway perimeter. The aircraft eventually came to a stop approximately 1,500 meters from the threshold. The incident resulted in no injuries among the 157 passengers, 2 pilots, 5 cabin crew, or 1 security officer, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Findings
- The aircraft's flight path drifted significantly left of the runway centerline during the final moments before touchdown.
- The pilot declined multiple go-around requests made by the First Officer during the landing sequence.
- The thrust reversers were not utilized during the landing roll.
- The aircraft's nose gear collapsed upon exiting the runway, causing damage to electrical components and a loss of communication systems.