PAL pilot makes 'perfect' emergency landing in LA

A PAL jumbo jet with 418 passengers and two blown tires made a dramatic emergency landing at Los Angles International Airport Friday night (Saturday morning in Manila), while a CBS News chopper aired its descent live for millions of tense viewers. "It's a perfect, smooth landing for that pilot there from Philippine Airlines," the CBS reporter said from the news chopper.

The plane had reportedly blown the two tires while in flight. Among the passengers on board was actress Annabelle Rama, according to a tweet by her daughter Ruffa Gutierrez.

A live video report on KCAL 9 News, posted on the website of the CBS Los Angles, showed the final gripping minutes before PAL flight PR102 succeeded in making a safe landing.

"It's a perfect, nice, smooth landing for that pilot there from Philippine Airlines," a CBS News reporter told his studio anchors from CBS News chopper Sky9 that had been following the jet as it descended ominously amid the night time lights of the American West's biggest metropolis.

"That's a sigh of relief for everybody," the reporter said.

"For all of us," echoed one of the anchors.

PAL officially declined to release any of the pilots' names, but PAL sources said the captain on the flight was Efren N. Enverga, who was assisted by co-pilots Mark Baniqued, Mark Victor Misa, and Villamor Feria Jr.

The video clip started with the plane being seen in its final stages of descent into the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the sixth busiest airport in the world with more than 600,000 flight arrivals and departures every year.

"He's very very close... He's doing what he's supposed to do. Low and slow, and he's heavy. You can see the heat coming from all four engines. That's a very positive sign as well," the reporter said shortly before the plane touched ground for the emergency landing.


By: MARK D. MERUEÑAS
 http://www.gmanews.tv