Why I Would Refuse To Fly To Caticlan (Boracay)

[Inthernet]

After on and off research lasting a year, I have finally found the information I needed. I decided to look up hard numbers after Zest Airways had two accidents at this airport within 6 months.

I have found after much digging through conflicting numbers that Caticlan Airport has a runway length of 2,938 feet. Business - Caticlan flight rules eased - INQUIRER.net (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20091207-240715/Caticlan-flight-rules-eased)


Airlines and Aircraft:

Official takeoff distances are at 15 celcius. Caticlan is 30 celcius, meaning air is less dense, requiring a longer distance for takeoff. These quoted distances are supposed to include safety margins such as an engine failure situation.

SEAIR uses the Dornier 328 aircraft to Caticlan. The President personally claims this aircraft can operate at MTOW using a runway of just 2,460 feet. Only SEAIR Flies to Boracay direct via Caticlan (http://www.flyseair.com/node/168) This is definitely not the case. At MTOW, the Do328 needs 3,570ft according to an approved maintenance contractor for this aircraft. 328 Support Services | 328 Product | 328 Turbo Prop (http://www.328support.de/en/328/328-prop.php) Dornier itself no longer exists so I cannot dig up their numbers. Even if the Do328 is likely to be 1,200kgs under full weights on Caticlan -> Manila, it’s doubtful whether the takeoff distance decreases by 638 feet. SEAIR was allowed to continue flying to Caticlan even with runway restrictions in place because “the planes were smaller”. This is a misconception. The Do328 is a “high-speed” turboprop. To allow for the high speed, the aircraft needs to have less drag/lift which means it needs long runway for its size!

Zest uses the MA-60 aircraft which stands out because it is an extremely heavy aircraft for the size. This 56-seat aircraft’s OEW is even heavier than the 72-seat ATR-72-500 aircraft that Cebu Pacific uses. ATR 72-500 - Products - ATR (http://www.atraircraft.com/public/atr/html/products/products.php?aid=506&pid=28706) and world airliners | xac | aircraft | 2001 | 2982 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2001/2001%20-%202982.html) The MA-60 is also 1,500kgs heavier when empty than PAL Express’ 50-seat Q300 aircraft. Bombardier Inc. - Aerospace - Products (http://www.bombardier.com/en/aerospace/products/commercial-aircraft/q-series) Information is vague about this aircraft but an official-looking PDF quotes a 3,600 feet required for a fully loaded takeoff. http://www.chinaga.com/UserFiles/MA60Aircraft.pdf This probably means the MA-60 would safely manage to takeoff with a limited number of passengers, say 25, instead of the full 56 and they are supposed to be restricted like this on this route. That said, they had 55 passengers when they overran in June Plane overshoots Caticlan runway | The Philippine Star >> News >> Nation (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=481030)

PAL Express’ Q300 aircraft has a full-weight takeoff run of 3,865 feet. This would mean considerable reductions in weight (by limiting number of passengers) to shorten the safe takeoff distance by over 800 feet, as required for this airport.

Cebu Pacific’s ATR-72 aircraft requires 4,232 feet of runway. This means even more weight-shedding is needed.

Of course, the old Asian Spirit actually used a suitable aircraft in the past, the Dash-7 to Caticlan. This aircraft however was notoriously expensive to operate.

[HarmonRabb]

and your point is ?...............

pardon my askin', I kinda miss the bottomline of the whole damn thing !!!..... whatcha gettin' at boy?

[Inthernet]

The point is, the runway is too short for "safe" operation. I've put all the required numbers my sources in that post.

[ecureilx]

I am in the queue behind HarmonRabb ...

So .. what's your point ??

You didn't know that SeaAir have this little miracle called "LET", which can land and take off on a dime .. or, at less than 1,500 feet, to a 30 feet obstacle ..

And most of their flights are actually LET, and less of Do-328.

And again, for your questioning Do - 328's capabilities, it was designed as a Short field performance aircraft, and with Germany's best aerodynamics at work .. and was certified to land with maximum mass, at 750m.

I have no clue as to if SeaAir is operating at full load or reduced load, but, I remember the last time I flew in there, they insisted on the 10KG for checked luggage, and were constantly doing weight checks.

So, they aren't a cowboy outfit, as you suggest.

In any case, I do agree that the ATR 72 - not even the ATR 42, and the MA 60 are tad bit too much to fit in ..

[Inthernet]

Yes, I'm aware that SEAIR has Let-410s and I'm also aware SEAIR makes effort into marketing their flights to Boracay as the 'fastest', which can only be done with the Do328.

I also know that the unfactored landing distance is 750 metres. Unfactored means no tailwind, no rain, no 240 feet hill and zero pilot error, like landing way past the touchdown markers, something which allegedly happened with the Zest overrun..

Fact of the matter is, the Do328 is frequently used to Caticlan. There is also a STOL version of the Do328, the -120. SEAIR has 3x -110 and 1x -120 and both are used into Caticlan.

That said, I'm glad to hear SEAIR is very strict doing their weights.

[jester_icarus]

......can't wait to go back to work.

[ecureilx]

Inthernet:

Even with a LET, they can still tout themselves as fastest, as the Lets reach cruise speed faster, and .. considering the alternate airport 5J and PR flies to, of course, DG turns out faster by an hour or so .. :E :E

So, remind me again, what was the objective of this thread ??