All 47 people aboard a passenger jet are alive after a dramatic crash-landing in the ocean on Tuesday morning, officials confirmed. The aircraft, operated by Pacific Vista Airlines, came down in the waters off the coast of Cebu, Philippines, following an apparent engine failure shortly after takeoff. Authorities have described the survival of everyone on board as “nothing short of a miracle.”
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Flight PV312 was en route from Cebu to Manila when the twin-engine regional jet reported engine trouble about 15 minutes into the flight. Pilots declared an emergency and attempted to return to Mactan–Cebu International Airport, but the aircraft lost altitude rapidly. With landfall unreachable, the crew executed a controlled ditching approximately five kilometers offshore.
Eyewitnesses along the coastline reported seeing the jet gliding low over the water before making a hard but steady landing. “It hit the surface and sent up a huge splash, but it didn’t break apart,” said local fisherman Antonio Ramos, who rushed to assist the survivors. “People started climbing out onto the wings almost immediately.”
The Philippine Coast Guard deployed rescue boats within minutes, aided by local fishermen and nearby private vessels. All 43 passengers and 4 crew members were recovered from the sea within an hour of the crash. Several sustained minor injuries such as cuts, bruises, and mild hypothermia, but none were critically hurt. Everyone was transported to nearby hospitals for evaluation.
CAAP spokesman Arnel Santos said early indications point to a mechanical failure in one of the aircraft’s engines. “The flight crew reported engine vibration and a loss of thrust before they made the decision to ditch,” Santos explained. “The captain’s actions were textbook — they followed emergency procedures precisely, which saved lives.”
Aviation safety experts are already calling the incident a rare example of a successful water landing. “Commercial jet ditchings are extremely uncommon, and survival rates are usually low,” said Capt. Manuel Ortega, a retired airline pilot and safety consultant. “For all 47 people to walk away is remarkable and speaks to both pilot skill and the quick response of rescuers.”
The aircraft involved was a 15-year-old Embraer E145, a regional jet commonly used for short-haul flights. Pacific Vista Airlines, a small regional carrier, said it is cooperating fully with investigators and has grounded its remaining E145 fleet pending safety inspections. “Our immediate focus is on the wellbeing of our passengers and crew,” the airline said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of the pilots and rescuers.”
The crash site has been marked for recovery operations, and divers are expected to begin examining the wreckage once weather conditions improve. Investigators from CAAP and Brazil’s aircraft manufacturer Embraer will jointly assess data from the flight recorders, which search teams are working to retrieve.
For now, authorities and passengers alike are simply grateful that a potential tragedy became a story of survival. “We thought we were going to die,” said passenger Liza Marquez. “When we felt the plane hit the water and stop, and we were all still alive — it felt like a second chance at life.
