Investigation Summary
Flight 206 was a routine morning flight from Manila to the high-altitude Loakan Airport in Baguio. As the aircraft neared its destination, the region was experiencing a monsoon, resulting in heavy fog, thunderstorms, and significantly reduced visibility. The pilot communicated these conditions to air traffic control shortly before the aircraft vanished from radar. The wreckage was located at an elevation of roughly 6,250 feet on Mount Ugu, near the Ambuklao Dam. While the fuselage was reportedly found largely intact by the first local responders, it was quickly engulfed and significantly consumed by a post-impact fire. Despite reports of lumberjacks attempting to reach the site to save an individual, the intensity of the fire and the remote location meant there were no survivors.
Final Conclusions
The accident was classified as a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). The primary contributing factors were the poor visibility and adverse weather conditions caused by a monsoon, which led the crew to impact terrain while attempting an approach to Loakan Airport.
Video Analysis
Philippine Airlines Flight 206 Aftermath Footage | 26 June 1987 — Archival footage showing the recovery efforts and wreckage of the Philippine Airlines HS-748 that crashed into Mount Ugu in 1987.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Systems & Failure Modes
Radar
The aircraft was tracked by ground radar until it descended below coverage or impacted terrain 10 minutes before landing.
HS-748 Turboprop Engines
The aircraft was powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crash site was located at an altitude of approximately 6,844 feet (2,086 meters) on Mount Ugu.
- 02The aircraft struck the mountain between 15 and 19 kilometers (9-12 miles) southeast of Loakan Airport.
- 03Among the victims were Catholic Bishop Bienvenido Tudtud and the wife of a Philippine Airlines executive vice-president.
- 04At the time, it was one of the deadliest commercial aviation accidents in Philippine history.
- 05Local lumberjacks were the first to reach the site and reported the fuselage was initially intact but burning.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Weather Minimums Review
The accident highlighted the dangers of the difficult approach to Loakan Airport during monsoon season, leading to stricter adherence to visibility minimums for the high-altitude airfield.