Manila – Tacloban – Cagayán de Oro

On February 2, 1998 at 11:00 AM, Manila – Tacloban – Cagayán de Oro experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-9, operated by Cebu Pacific Air, with the event recorded near Mt Sumagaya Misamis Oriental.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

104 people were known to be on board, 104 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 99, passenger fatalities: 99, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Manila-Ninoy Aquino Airport at 0916LT on a regular schedule flight to Cagayán de Oro. The crew made an unscheduled stop at Tacloban Airport to deliver spare tires for another Cebu aircraft. It took off from Tacloban Airport at 1002LT and continued to Cagayán de Oro at FL115. While descending in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Sumagaya (2,234 metres high) located about 54 km northeast of Cagayán de Oro Airport. First rescuers arrived on site about 24 hours later and the wreckage was found in an isolated area about 150 metres below the summit. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 104 occupants were killed, among them five foreigners including one Swiss citizen. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were marginal with clouds and strong winds.

Aircraft reference details include registration RP-C1507, MSN 47069, year of manufacture 1967.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 8.6599°, 125.0362°.