Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

themoonisdown09

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 19, 2007
4,319
18
Georgia, USA
A Philippine plane with 80 passengers aboard narrowly avoided a crash - after a man teaching his girlfriend to drive sped across the runway as the aircraft landed.

The Cebu Pacific plane briefly touched down at Legazpi airport in the central Philippines on Saturday, but took off again as the van being driven by the couple crossed the runway.

"That van could have turned us into a fireball had I not successfully aborted landing," said pilot Christopher Nowioki.

According to the Philippine Star newspaper, the culprit was actually the son of the airport manager.

It's thought that he may have thought all the flights to the airport were completed for the day, and decided to use the runway to give his girlfriend a driving lesson. However, a recent increase in the number of scheduled flights, combined with poor visibility, caught him out.

His father, Frisco Sto. Domingo, has now been sacked, the Philippine Star reports.

Article link
 
Sacked? There should be jail time too.

Jail time, come on get a grip.

The managers son done a reckless and stupid thing though i would suspect it was a common occurrence as the article says the runway is rarely used after a certain time.
Another this that i do not understand her, the person responsible is obviously old enough to drive and there for is a legal adult and able to leave home so i do not understand the reasoning in punishing his father for his crimes.
 
Jail time, come on get a grip.

The managers son done a reckless and stupid thing though i would suspect it was a common occurrence as the article says the runway is rarely used after a certain time.
Another this that i do not understand her, the person responsible is obviously old enough to drive and there for is a legal adult and able to leave home so i do not understand the reasoning in punishing his father for his crimes.

I didn't necessarily mean punish the father, if the kid is old enough to drive then they can take punishment as well.

Maybe jail time is harsh, but there should be something -- a huge fine, impounding, license suspension. Driving around on an active runway is ridiculously dangerous. I'm pretty sure if I started driving my car around commuter railway corridors, or sped down the freeway in the wrong direction, or started campfires in a propane facility, or something equally dumb that would not only put my own life but DOZENS of other LIVES at risk, that the police would have some serious things to say about it. I can't think of too many things I could do that could end up in a bunch of people perishing in a FIREBALL like the pilot was quoted as saying.
 
I didn't necessarily mean punish the father, if the kid is old enough to drive then they can take punishment as well.

Maybe jail time is harsh, but there should be something -- a huge fine, impounding, license suspension. Driving around on an active runway is ridiculously dangerous. I'm pretty sure if I started driving my car around commuter railway corridors, or sped down the freeway in the wrong direction, or started campfires in a propane facility, or something equally dumb that would not only put my own life but DOZENS of other LIVES at risk, that the police would have some serious things to say about it. I can't think of too many things I could do that could end up in a bunch of people perishing in a FIREBALL like the pilot was quoted as saying.

The important thing there is "I" not your parents or distant cousins or friends. You, you yourself are responsible for you actions and no one else should be held accountable.
 
Why are people here making sexist comments about it being a female driver?

It was the decision of, under the supervision of, following the directions of, the responsibility of the man involved. The police seem to agree too - they are charging the man, not (apparently) the woman.

BTW insurance rates are lower for female drivers too. Huh. There's at least one large female-only insurance company here.
 
The Father is being held responsible, for if he wasn't working there, the son would not have had access.
I think it's ground for dismissal when the father allow unauthorized personnel on the runway. Whether or not it caused an accident is secondary in the reasoning for sacking him.
 
Yes, I agree, the official responsible for allowing access (in this case the father) also bears some responsibility. My point still stands: why make sexist comments about it being a woman driver?
 
When I first read the OP title I thought, how in the hell could that happen?!

Then I read it happened in the Philippines. Makes sense now.

At my local Int'l airport they would have been taken out with a barrage of machine gun fire.
:D
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.