Plane's tire bursts, halting Caticlan airport operations

Operations of the Caticlan, Malay airport — one of two gateways to the famed Boracay island — were halted on Monday after one of the tires of a South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) plane burst in the middle of the runway. The 19-seater plane’s left landing gear was blown out when it landed at 6:30 a.m., causing the aircraft to be stuck in the middle of the runway of the Godofredo P. Ramos airport. Authorities immediately tried to get proper equipment to tow the aircraft, which had registry number RPC-2928.
The plane only carried its pilot, Capt. James Bihasa, his co-pilot, and a mechanic at the time of the incident. Operations resumed on Monday afternoon, but the incident affected passengers of more than 15 flights which were diverted to the Kalibo airport. SEAIR boasts of being able to bring passengers directly to the famed tourist hotsport Boracay Island via Caticlan. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Alfonso Cusi has directed a review of the Caticlan airport’s Emergency and Rescue Plan after the incident. - GMANews.TV