Cebu Pac crash survivor's tale of ineptness and heroism

My near-death experience: A timeline as seen from the cabin

We were seated in Row 22 with a great view of the heavily damaged left engine. With smoke filling the cabin, and the airline staff not letting us out, I just held my wife Joy and my son Jouno closer and prayed that there would be no explosion.

4:25 pm
It all started while we were waiting to board at Gate 16 in Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport. We were informed that our flight would be delayed for 20 mins due to the late arrival of our turn-around aircraft, much to the dismay of the passengers waiting to board.

4:30 pm
But after 5 minutes, we were asked to transfer to Gate 20 as there were changes in the flight schedule. When we got there, we were directed to board another plane. I thought our original aircraft was not here yet? Oh well, I guess this is better than waiting further. This change however turned out to be a critical one.

4:45 pm
A few seconds after the plane took off, I noticed a sudden change in the humming of the engine. It was pretty much like shifting to second gear in a car even when you haven’t reached the initial speed that you want. I thought the timing was off. We were able to attain our flying altitude but it was rough sailing from then on. The fasten seat belt sign was turned on and off several times as there was a lot of turbulence along the way.

Throughout the flight, the passengers noticed something strange. One of the pilots went to the restroom about four times within an hour, and every time he got out he looked dazed. At one point, he even asked the stewardess to make coffee for him. I do not want to make any speculations but most people can hold it even for the entire trip. A fellow passenger who was seated in the first few rows whom I was able to talk to after the incident noticed the same thing.

6:25 pm
The captain announced our flight details, saying that we were already on our initial descent towards Davao International Airport and that we would land at 7:05 pm. I remember him saying that the weather was fair but a little cloudy in Davao.

Then suddenly there was really hard turbulence that went on for a while when the cabin crew was collecting waste from the passengers. They were ordered to go back to their seats.

6:55 pm
One thing I really noticed was the plane's speed as we approached the runway. I am a frequent traveler, and this is my 11th plane ride this year alone. We were really going down fast! I did not see the flaps moving. Based on my experience, it should have moved to decrease our air speed but there was no movement at all. I was shocked when I looked out the window and we were that close to the ground at that speed!

When we hit the ground it felt like a bowling ball hitting the floor. It was a really hard landing. Right on impact the flaps fully opened and the tires were screeching like crazy. From the sound of it, the wheels were not turning at all as the pilot seemed to slam the brakes to the floor.

This caused a lot of commotion among the passengers as we all lunged forward. I could hear all the hand-carried baggage tumble to the front of the aircraft. I can remember looking at my wife on my right and holding her hand and when I saw her in the emergency landing position, I just held on to my five-year-old son tightly bracing for impact. I can see the family sitting adjacent to us doing the same and protecting their month-old baby.

In the back of my mind, I was thinking, this is it! I was waiting for something to blow up... The plane veered heavily to the right. The sound of metal dragging on the ground was something I won't soon forget, and then I heard a pop underneath us, perhaps the wheels breaking off or going aground, just before the plane took a nose-dive onto the grass…Luckily, when the airplane stopped, we didn't blow up.

6:57 pm
Inside the cabin was like a scene taken from a Hollywood crash movie. It was eerily dark with only the emergency exit lights on. We could hear the sound of the rain and wind gushing outside, and the loud cries of babies on board. Nobody talked for a few seconds until my wife shouted "OPEN the doors." Then people suddenly broke their silence. The smoke inside the cabin caused panic as passengers got out of the plane. Yet we were instructed by the cabin crew to stay put, as they would wait for further instructions from the captain.

What, really? You're gonna wait for this freakin’ plane to blow up while we were still inside? The initial responses from the passengers was total mayhem. Everyone wanted out. People were crying, some were trying to use their mobile phones to contact their loved ones outside, which I just realized could have been disastrous as it could have ignited a flame that could blow us all up if there was a gas leak.

One min, 2 mins, 5 mins went by and we are left to ourselves, trying to figure out what to do next. Some cabin crew were crying as well as they did their best to calm the passengers. No ambulance, no fire trucks and no help from outside in the first few minutes of the crash. 23 minutes later and with only smokey air to breath, oxygen and patience were running dangerously low.

It took the courage of one person, whom we only know as Captain Bok from the Philippine Navy, to stand up and calm everyone down. He knew what he was doing and he was in control even when the cabin crew looked like they were really at a loss about what to do. Capt. Bok gave clear instructions for everyone to sit down so that we can leave row by row to prevent the plane from tilting over. He was the clear definition of a “guiding voice."

With an adrenaline rush, the heroes among us urged the elderly and those who have children to go out first, not minding the danger of the plane catching fire. Amidst the chaos, it was the elderly and children first.

From the window, I saw my son and my wife make it out safely, and that was enough to draw a smile on my face. Thank God they are safe. Now I have to save myself as well.

7:45 pm
When I finally got out of the plane, I let out a big sigh of relief. I looked at the plane for the first time and saw the huge crack on one of the engines. It was just then that I realized how precious life is and how someone from above just gave us a second life. It was a brief 10 seconds of my life... but it could easily have been the last.

7:50 pm
There were only two vehicles that ferried the passengers from the grounds to the terminal. One was a private van probably owned by somebody working on the premises, and an ambulance. The passengers were left standing in the rain waiting for a ride. From the moment of impact, it took more than five minutes for the fire fighters to reach the scene. There were no medical first responders; in fact there was no one else. I can just imagine what would’ve happened to us if the plane did blow up and there were serious injuries.

8:10 pm
All the passengers were now safe in the baggage conveyor section, eagerly awaiting guidance or any support from Cebu Pacific management. But lo and behold, again there was no one to face us. Wow, in the movies you could see an outpouring of support for people who have just been through such a traumatic experience. But for us… no food, no warm blankets for those who were dripping wet from the rain, no drinks, no nothing! Not even the sight of the cabin crew consoling passengers. There were even no seats for us to rest our shaking bodies so most people just sat on the conveyor belt itself. And then I remembered, yes this is not Hollywood.

8:30 pm
One employee from CebPac announced that we should not worry, as our baggage would be delivered to our homes as compensation. This back-fired since all passengers were more worried about their hand-carried items left on the plane during the emergency exit. It looked like some of the passengers were ready to pounce on the little fella from CebPac.

9:00 pm
We were all led to Gate 2 where we settled down and talked with CebPac’s management about the ordeal. Those who were from Davao were given some money for taxi fare, while those with connecting flights were offered hotels and meals. This was also the place where the hand-carried items were released to the passengers. We were also given juice drinks and  water during this time but it wasn’t enough to appease some of the passengers who were angered by the absence of medical responders more than two hours after the incident. There were three passengers who needed help; one was an older woman whose blood pressure shot up. The other was a woman in her twenties who was clearly suffering from panic, and a pregnant woman who was complaining of severe abdominal pain.

Luckily my cousin, Carlo Dela Cruz, a nurse working in Marbel Doctors Hospital, and another passenger were capable of dealing with the situation. So just like what we did on board the aircraft, we took it upon ourselves to help each other. The two gallant nurses took care of the affected passenger until help arrived three hours after the incident in the form of one woman with a stethoscope and a BP apparatus. Yep! You heard me right.

9:45 pm 
We returned to the conveyor belt to get our luggage and went our separate ways, but not before smiling for the cameras of all the media people waiting at the gates.

The whole ordeal was a life-changing one. We were really blessed to come out of a crash unscratched and alive and able to call ourselves survivors. There were more questions than answers as of this time as to what really happened. Some people said that three seconds before the plane touched the ground there was a sudden heavy rain and wind that made the plane swerve. Some said there was a power outage just before the plane landed.

Still some said that they saw one of the engines burning even before we landed, while others share that our engine barely missed one of the metal markers as we were barreling down the runway. It would’ve torn the engine off and there might have been a different ending to this story.

After all these extreme experiences, one thing stuck in my mind the most. As we were rocked left and right, front and back, with virtually no control over our fates, it was Jesus’ name that was uttered by many of the passengers. And it was the sincerest and sweetest “Thank You Lord” that was heard the moment the plane came to rest.

To all 165 passengers of Cebu Pacific Air Flight 5J 971… HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all of us. — GMA News