Saturday, April 19, 2008 Antalan: Flight 541 eighth anniversary By Rogelio P. Antalan Dateline: Igacos
APRIL 19 will always be remembered in Igacos, if not in the whole country. On this day, eight years ago, Air Philippines' Flight 541 from Manila crashed at Sitio Kamalangan, barangay San Isidro in Babak district.
All 131 passengers and crew, including four infants were killed, making it the country's worst air tragedy.
Witnesses at the crash site, including the then barangay captain Samson Badilles said they saw thick smoke billowing from the plane as it descended, and a few seconds later, heard an explosion in mid-air.
I was among the first who arrived at the site about 30 minutes after the incident and I saw that most of the bodies were charred, some body parts thrown from the impact of the explosion.
There were conflicting versions on why the accident happened. Some said the plane, a Boeing 737-200, was a "vintage model", having been 20 years old at that time. Federal Aviation Administration of the United States had raised concerns about the safety of the Boeing 737-200's rudder control system. Others said that the airport's control tower advised the pilot to abort landing and instructed it to turn around because another plane was about to take off and this might have strained the plane's engines so it crashed.
Investigations were made to determine the exact circumstances behind the crash.
The aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were sent to the National Transport Safety Board in Washington D.C., United States for analysis.
Since then, the local government of Igacos made efforts to develop the crash site as a prayer mountain. One hundred thirty-one trees have been planted there in memory of those who perished in the crash. Eucharistic Mass was celebrated in the site during anniversaries and relatives of the victims attended.
While they have fervently prayed for the repose of the souls of their departed loved ones, they might have also prayed for justice to be served as they have filed a class suit against Chicago-based AAR Aircraft & Engine Group and Business Credit Corporation, the owners of the ill-fated Boeing 737 that was leased to Air Philippines.
North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel F. Piñol, whose sister-in-law, niece, and nephew perished in the crash led the victims' families in acquiring the services of the Nolan Law Group in filing the case, considered a landmark one as it is the supplier of the airplane rather than the airline that has been sued.
Piñol said AAR and Fleet agreed to a settlement of at least US $157 M so it is estimated that each family would get around $1.2 M. The firm's insurance company, Lloyds of London, decided on an amicable settlement after it found out it would lose in finality. The governor added that the discovery of a conspiracy among the firm's smaller insurers was among the turning point in the settlement plan.
He added that investigations revealed that Air Philippines pilots who manned the aircraft did not undergo a training course required by Boeing. Further, that the ATO control tower did not communicate with Flight 541 after the touchdown at the Davao International Airport was aborted.
The governor also said the families of the victims have compiled stories for a book about their ordeal. He said it is "about the crash, the lives lost, lessons learned, struggles against the judicial and air transportation system and struggle against conspiracy."
The book is entitled "Flight of Fate, Wings of Hope" and will have its cover launching on the 19th of April, in time for the 8th anniversary.
While Air Philippines' Flight 541 was among the worst air tragedy, it has also become the biggest settlement in the country's aviation history.
For its 8th anniversary, the Igacos local government has scheduled another Eucharistic Mass at the Virgen Dolorosa Church in Babak Poblacion. It has also maintained the site.
With the recent news about the settlement, it is hoped that the victims' relatives will be able to purchase the lot where the plane crashed and finally make it a shrine in memory of those who perished.
