Two Philippine planes involved in accidents but all aboard safe

MANILA, Dec 11 (AP): A Philippine Airlines plane carrying 33 people veered off the runway after landing in rainy weather at a central airport late o Friday (Dec 11), causing no injuries but delaying 34 incoming and outgoing flights, officials said.

The De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop aircraft, which flew to central Cebu province from nearby Caticlan town in Aklan province, was towed away from the runway three hours later, allowing the reopening of Mactan-Cebu international airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said.

The 29 passengers and four crew deplaned safely, the Philippine flag-carrier said. An investigation was underway.

In a separate incident Friday, a Cessna 206 plane with two pilots and 25 boxes of live fish crash-landed on the shore of a village in the resort town of El Nido in western Palawan province due to engine trouble, civil aviation officials said.

Philippine coast guard personnel rescued the two pilots from the floating aircraft near the beach, where the private plane landed after taking off from San Vicente town in Palawan on a flight to Sangley airport in Cavite province south of Manila. - AP