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          The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have suspended the pilots of Cebu Pacific Air Flight 5J 971 which skidded of the runway of Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City earlier this month.

          The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), together with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) have released today the results of their investigation of the accident.

          Investigations showed that upon reaching its destination, during landing, the aircraft skidded of the runway and stopped 845 meters from where it touched down. 

          The investigation which was supported by an animation created by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of Singapore found Captain Antonio Oropesa liable for the following violations:

  • Non-adherence to the provision of Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations relating to operating below the decision height or minimum descent altitude;
  • Non-compliance with the PCAR provisions relating to emergency evacuation demonstration;
  • Non-compliance with the PCAR provisions relating to cockpit checklist procedures.

First Officer Edwin Perello was found liable for the following violations:

  • Non-compliance with PCAR provisions relating to emergency evacuation;
  • Non-compliance with PCAR provisions relating to cockpit checklist procedures.

          In result, both Captain Oropesa and First Officer Perello will be suspended for six months and three months respectively.

          After Capt. Oropesa's six-month suspension, he will be demoted to first officer for one year after being able to comply for his Airline Transport Pilot License. Perello will have to comply for his Commercial Pilot License.


UPDATE: As posted on Cebu Pacific's Official Facebook Page

Cebu Pacific Statement Regarding CAAP Report

We received the Notice of Decision issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) regarding the accident involving a Cebu Pacific Airbus A320 aircraft operating Flight 5J 971 from Manila to Davao on June 2, 2013. We will comply with all the recommendations indicated within the Notice of Decision.

Safety has always been the highest priority for Cebu Pacific. We aim to provide the safest airline service possible for the millions of passengers who travel with us every year. 

Further to the CAAP’s recommendations, CEB commenced additional initiatives including:

• Enhancement of our current training curriculum to include additional focus on wet runway landings, “go-arounds,” specific training for inclement weather and non-precision approaches. 

• Implementation of enhanced pilot training curriculum by Airbus standardized trainers at the Philippine Academy for Aviation Training (PAAT), the only facility in the country that belongs to the CAE-Airbus Training cooperation, and with two state-of-the-art full flight simulators. Inaugurated in Clark in December 2012, PAAT is a joint venture with Canada-based CAE. CAE operates the world’s largest airline training network.

• An independent review of our flight operation systems and processes by Airbus Industries. Airbus will deploy a team of Safety, Flight Operations and Human Factor experts to Manila for this review.

Overseeing these initiatives is Capt. Jim Sydiongco, Cebu Pacific’s Vice President - Flight Operations. His experience in the aviation industry spans over 37 years. Capt. Sydiongco previously headed the Flight Standards Inspectorate Service (FSIS) of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). He also served as Chief Pilot for Safety Standards and Systems at Philippine Airlines (21 years); and as the Senior Safety Supervisor of EVA Air (16 years). His expertise is invaluable to CEB’s pilot management team as he oversees all aspects of flight operations, including pilot training.

Moving forward, as we further grow and fly to new destinations using new aircraft, CEB will continue to find ways to serve our passengers better.



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