What happened
On 27 April 1967, a Fokker aircraft, which was being operated under a short-term lease from Permina Oil Company for demonstration purposes in the Philippines, was involved in a fatal accident at Malaybalay Airport. The aircraft had arrived in Manila on 24 April and had completed several demonstration flights across various aerodromes prior to the event.
Following a series of flights that day, the aircraft landed at Davao to refuel its main fuel and water/methanol tanks. At 1635 hours, the aircraft departed Davao and arrived at Malaybalay Airport at 1705 hours. After landing on runway 06, the aircraft performed a 180-degree turn and prepared for departure from runway 24. During the takeoff roll, witnesses observed that both engines were set to maximum power, and the plane became airborne approximately two-thirds of the way down the runway.
Shortly after liftoff, at an altitude of roughly one meter, the right-hand propeller began to decelerate and eventually stopped. The aircraft struggled to climb, following a creek between two hills while maintaining a low right-wing attitude. The plane subsequently struck trees and bamboo before crashing into a hillside located 45 meters above the runway elevation. The impact occurred at 1710 hours, approximately 1,380 meters from the end of runway 04. The accident resulted in 19 fatalities, including all three crew members and 16 passengers.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the pilot exercised poor judgment by attempting a takeoff toward terrain that was unsuitable for single-engine performance. Additional contributing factors included the aircraft's gross takeoff weight exceeding the limits required to clear the rising terrain along the departure path, as well as insufficient data regarding the specific conditions at Malaybalay Airport.