A Philippine Airlines Boeing 737-300 became the first hull loss of the aircraft after an explosion in the fuel tank.

A domestic flight Philippine Airlines Flight 143 take-off from Manila, Philippines to Mandurriao Airport (ILO), Iloilo City with the duration of 1hr 15 min. Going back to May 11, 1990 the aircraft which was the nine-month-old Boeing 737-300 with the registration number EI-BZG suffered an explosion in the centralfurl tank and was consumed by fire.

While parking at Manila Airport with an outside air temperature of around 35 °C (95 °F), the air conditioner packs located beneath the centre wing fuel tank had been running non-stop for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. But it is said that the centre fuel tank was not being filled for more than two months, and it still contained traces of fuel and vapours. Shortly after pushback from the gate, an explosion violently pushed the plane’s cabin floor upwards the wing tanks torn apart by the explosion were engulfed in flames.

Philippine

Shortly after pushback from the gate, an explosion violently pushed the plane’s cabin floor upwards the wing tanks torn apart by the explosion were engulfed in flames.

After the explosion 133 passengers and six crew members on board ran down from the emergency slide and eight passengers, including a child, has found died. Eighty passengers were sent to hospital for inhalation of fumes and treated for other injuries. About the incident several passengers on the plane said they had heard may explosions.

Later on, Oscar Alejandro the director of the Philippine Air Transport Office, commented that the engines were not running at the time of the explosion. It is said that the explosion was happened because of damaged wiring in the wing not because of any bombs, detonators, or incendiary devices. After receiving the plane from Boeing in 1989, Philippine Airlines fitted logo lights that required passing additional wires through the vapor seals in the fuel tanks.

Crush

About the incident several passengers on the plane said they had heard may explosions.