A Philippine Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing mid-flight when the cabin started to fill with smoke.
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According to the Daily Mail, Philippine Airlines flight PR102 took off from Manila International Airport in the Philippines on Wednesday night at around 10 PM. The aircraft was en route to Los Angeles. However, the pilot performed an emergency landing at Haneda Airport in Japan when the cabin started smoking. Per ABS-CBN, the aircraft was carrying 359 passengers at the time.
Philippine Airlines reportedly explained that the smoke entered the cabin through one of the plane's air conditioning units. Valerie Del Castillo, a passenger on the flight, was asleep but was woken by the smell of burning plastic. She told the outlet, "The smoke filled the air. We all covered our mouths and noses as staff seemed to panic." Del Castillo also said that the cabin crew gave out wet face towels.
Another passenger, Jennifer Taylor, reportedly said some passengers complained that the smoke hurt their eyes and throats. She also noted that many passengers were crying and panicking, but the flight crew calmed the situation quickly. "They did the best they could," Taylor said.
Authorities Want An Explanation From Philippine Airlines
The Department of Transportation
posted a statement asking the airline to 'explain the incident' and compensate affected passengers. The release also explains that workers did not immediately attend the plane when it touched down at Haneda Airport.In fact, per ABS-CBN, the aircraft arrived in Japan at 3:30 AM. The Airport didn't assign the flight a disembarkation gate until 10 AM. The Daily Mail says passengers had to patiently wait on board for hours, and the crew opened the plane doors to let out the smoke. All staff and passengers are reportedly safe following the incident.
Fortunately, no one was hurt on the Philippine Airlines flight, but smoke filling the cabin can have deadly consequences. Back in December, a Swiss International flight made an emergency landing in Austria. The plane carried 74 passengers at the time. Emergency Services transported two members of the plane crew to the hospital, but one died a week later.
