Officials say the DC-3 plane scraped the roofs of 14 houses in Manila before crashing into an abandoned warehouse and bursting into flames. Minutes after taking off from Manila airport, the pilot asked permission to make an emergency landing.
The freight plane was heading towards Puerto Princesa City in Palawan province southwest of the capital, Manila airport security manager Angel Atutubo said.
Flight records showed there were seven people aboard the aircraft, including the pilot, but officials are yet to confirm this number.
No one was reported injured on the ground but residents said two houses close to the warehouse caught fire.
