Air Philippines Flight 541
RP-C3010, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in January 2000 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 19, 2000 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-2H4 |
| Operator | Air Philippines |
| IATA flight No. | 2P541 |
| ICAO flight No. | GAP541 |
| Call sign | ORIENT PACIFIC 541 |
| Registration | RP-C3010 |
| Flight origin | Ninoy Aquino International Airport |
| Destination | Francisco Bangoy International Airport |
| Occupants | 131 |
| Passengers | 124 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 131 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Air Philippines Flight 541 was a scheduled domestic flight operated by Air Philippines from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City. On April 19, 2000, the Boeing 737-2H4 crashed south of Davao City while on approach to the airport, killing all 124 passengers and 7 crew members. The aircraft descended below the normal altitude for the glide slope, reaching 1,400 ft from the ground, at 500 ft, the aircraft struck a coconut tree, causing it to break up and catch fire. It remains the deadliest air disaster in the Philippines, surpassing the 1998 crash of Cebu Pacific Flight 387, and the third-deadliest accident involving the Boeing 737-200, after Mandala Airlines Flight 091 (which crashed five years later), and Indian Airlines Flight 113 (which crashed nearly twelve years prior).