Philippine Airlines Flight 215
.jpg) A Hawker Siddeley HS 748 similar to the one involved. | |
| Bombing | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 21, 1970 |
| Summary | Bomb explosion, cause unknown |
| Site |
|
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Hawker Siddeley HS-748-209 Srs. 2 |
| Operator | Philippine Airlines |
| Registration | PI-C1022[1] |
| Flight origin | Cauayan Airport, Cauayan, Philippines |
| Destination | Manila International Airport, Manila, Philippines |
| Passengers | 32 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 36 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Philippine Airlines Flight 215 was a domestic Philippine Airlines domestic flight from Cauayan Airport to Manila International Airport which exploded en route to Manila on April 21, 1970.
Aircraft
[edit]The aircraft was a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 Series 2 and was manufactured in 1968, before being delivered to Philippine Airlines registered as PI-C1022.[2]
Crash
[edit]Flight 215 departed from Cauayan Airport on a routine flight to Manila Airport in the morning of April 21, 1970. The flight had passed through severe rainstorms while en route.
At 11:34am, captain Diego Liwag requested permission to make an instrument approach to Manila.[3] Shortly after, while the aircraft was cruising at 10,500 feet (3,200m), a bomb exploded in the aircraft's lavatory leading to a rapid decompression and a complete separation of the tail section, leading into an uncontrolled descent and in-flight breakup before crashing into a rural area near Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.[4][5]
The flight was around 70 miles from Manila when the explosion occurred. All 32 passengers and 4 crew were killed in the incident, and wreckage was strewn across a wide area.[3]
Investigation and aftermath
[edit]It was reported that all of the occupants were burned beyond recognition.
A bomb in the lavatory was the determined cause of the incident, though it was not able to be traced to an exact source. Possible causes included a suicide bombing, political sabotage contributed by limited airport security development at the time, though in the end was marked as "unlawful interference".[2][4][5][6]
The bombing set a precedent for increased airport security in the Philippines amidst growing internal tension.
References
[edit]- ^ Criminal Occurrence description at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ a b Ranter, Harro. "Unlawful Interference Hawker Siddeley HS-748-209 Srs. 2 PI-C1022, Tuesday 21 April 1970". www.aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ a b "Plane Crash Kills All Aboard". The Desert Sun. 21 April 1970. p. 1.
- ^ a b Fatal Events Since 1970 for Philippine Air Lines
- ^ a b "Crash of an Avro 748-2-209 in Cabanatuan: 36 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ "Investigators Seek Reason For Philippine Plane Blast". The New York Times. 23 April 1970.
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- Aviation accidents and incidents in the Philippines
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1970
- Philippine Airlines accidents and incidents
- Airliner bombings
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- Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Hawker Siddeley HS 748
- 1970 in the Philippines
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