A horror plane crash killed all 104 people onboard when the pilots were apparently given the wrong mountain altitude on maps.
Cebu Pacific Flight 387 was a domestic in the Phillipines travelling from Manila to Lumbia Airport on this day in 1998.
The pilot was 31-year-old McDonnell Douglas, who crashed on the slopes of Mount Sumagaya in Gingoog, leading to the deaths of everyone onboard the doomed jet.
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The horrendous accident is thought to have occurred because the maps used by the pilots incorrectly listed the elevation of Mt. Sumagaya as 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level instead of 6,000 feet (1,800 m).
This fatal error meant the pilots thought they were flying well clear of the mountain, when in fact the plane was dangerously low.
A full inquiry after the crash found that there were deficiencies in the training of the pilots.
Among the passengers were 94 Filipinos, including five children.
There were also five passengers from Australia, Austria, Japan, Switzerland and Canada as well as a surgeon on a medical mission from the United States.
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Many questions about the crash still remain unanswered, with even the exact location of the crash site disputed.
One report which was published several years after the incident caused a stir among officials and rescuers involved in the operations.
The report, archived in the National Library in Manila, criticised pilots Capt. Paulo Justo and co-pilot Erwin Golla for there decision making and safety checks.
They are purported to have taken a less familiar flight route than one that was usually taken, made more risky by poor weather conditions.
A Manila Standard report from March 27, 1998 described the pilots as committing “several violations in aviation safety rules” such as poor operational control and was critical of the "lack of training of the pilots".
Jesus Dureza, the crisis manager during the rescue, revealed the horror of hearing the pilots final words before they crashed into the mountains.
“A shrill electronic voice from the aircraft’s computer started shouting 'Terrain, Terrain. Pull up; pull up, woof, woof!'" he said.
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