Cabin smoke forces LA-bound Philippine Airlines flight to land in Tokyo
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after smoke was detected in the cabin.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said PAL Flight PR102 had departed Manila on Wednesday evening, April 9 before diverting to Haneda.
“There was trouble in flight; there was some smoke emerging from the cabin, and it needed to turn back. It landed in Haneda in Japan,” Dizon said in an interview on dzRH.
The 355 passengers on board and the crew aboard the Boeing 777 aircraft were all safe, Dizon said.
Passengers initially were asked to remain on board for several hours while authorities worked closely with Haneda Airport officials to ensure a smooth and safe disembarkation.
The doors to the plane were also opened to let the smoke out.
Dizon, while appealing for calm among those affected, said he contacted Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo to request accommodations for passengers while the situation was addressed.
PAL, meanwhile, attributed the smoke to one of the plane’s two air conditioning units.
"Rest assured that we are in full coordination with Philippine government authorities through the office of the DOTR Secretary and local airport authorities in Haneda," PAL said.
Investigation underway. Dizon also said that he has already directed the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to investigate the incident thoroughly. Dizon emphasized that airlines bear responsibility for passenger safety.
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