What happened
A scheduled domestic service traveling from Manila toward Tacloban, with planned stops in Legaspi and Calbayog, experienced a critical malfunction during its initial climb. The flight departed from runway 13 at 10:32 local time. Shortly after the landing gear was retracted, the pilot-in-command observed the aircraft drifting toward the left side of the runway. While engine instruments appeared to be functioning normally, the co-pilot reported that the right rudder pedal felt jammed.
Upon taking control, the pilot-in-command noted a persistent and increasing bank and turn to the left. Despite attempts to stabilize the flight at approximately 150 feet altitude, the aircraft continued to lose airspeed, dropping to between 85 and 90 mph. During this period, the pilot attempted to use the control yoke to recover speed, but the aircraft failed to respond. The pilot reported a sensation of the left wing striking an object before the aircraft type crashed into barracks. The accident resulted in one fatality among the passengers and 10 injuries, which included five individuals on the ground. All other people on board survived the impact.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary reason for the uncontrolled left turn was an undetected deflection of the rudder trim tab. Specifically, the pilot failed to adjust the rudder trim tab to the correct position prior to takeoff and throughout the flight. Additionally, investigators identified that the aircraft was operating with a weight of 68 lb above the maximum allowable takeoff gross weight of 26,900 lb.