Philippine Airlines Flight PR-102 aborted takeoff Friday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, leaving passengers stranded and the aircraft disabled on the taxiway.
The Boeing 777-300ER, registered as RP-C7777, was bound for Los Angeles when it executed a rejected takeoff (RTO) procedure.
According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, the aircraft reached a ground speed of 163 knots before rapidly decelerating on the runway.
Information gathered by AUP all confirm that the Boeing aircraft experienced an engine no. 1 failure. In its official statement the following morning, PAL says that rejected take-off was attributed to a “technical issue.”
Aviation experts note that performing an RTO at such high speeds is an uncommon and serious occurrence, typically initiated only when flight crews detect a significant safety concern.
By midnight, airport ground crews had surrounded the aircraft. They attached a towbar and stairs, indicating preparations to disembark passengers on the taxiway and move the disabled aircraft.
The high-speed emergency stop caused the tires of the 370-seat widebody aircraft to deflate. The deflation of these tires is a safety feature, since the hot brakes caused by the RTO may cause tire explosions. This can damage an aircraft even more and pose significant risk to passengers and crew on the ground.
All 361 passengers, safe and unharmed, were given hotel accommodation for the rest of the night. Passengers were rebooked on a special flight departing at 2:00 PM on July 6.
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