Accident Overview
On October 17, 2009, at about 12:04 pm, RP-C550, a DC-3 type aircraft, departed from Manila Domestic Airport bound for Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Approximately five minutes after becoming airborne, the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) informed Manila Tower that the aircraft was turning back due to a technical problem.
The Incident
The air controller asked the PIC whether he was declaring an emergency; the response was negative. The PIC was directed to proceed to South Mall and wait for further instruction, a standard procedure for VFR arrivals for Runway 13. At South Mall, RP-C550 was cleared to cross the end of Runway 06, still without declaring an emergency. The tower controller observed the aircraft at a very low altitude and immediately granted clearance to land on Runway 06.
Crash
At about 12:14, RP-C550 crashed into an abandoned warehouse in Villa Fidela Subdivision, Barangay Elias Aldana, Las Piñas City, approximately four kilometers from the threshold of Runway 06. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all occupants suffered fatal injuries due to impact and post-crash fire.
Probable Cause
The Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board determined the probable causes of the accident: non-procedural application of power during take-off and initial climb that led to left engine malfunction; questionable qualifications of the flight crew; low level of competence of the pilots; failure to feather the left engine; turning toward the bad engine; and failure to declare an emergency.