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Tragedy in the skies
The worst air disaster on Pakistan’s soil (more people died on PIA Flight 268 on September 28, 1992 but this crash...
The worst air disaster on Pakistan’s soil (more people died on PIA Flight 268 on September 28, 1992 but this crash occurred outside Katmandu) has come as a great shocker in a country whose citizens have to contend with dozens of innocent people dying through terrorist attacks almost on a weekly basis. Air Blue Flight ED 202 en route to Islamabad from Karachi carrying 152 passengers and crew crashed along the slopes of the Margalla Hills. According to rescuers and local officials, the crash site was near-vertical and that, along with the bad weather, made access to the wreckage difficult. Initially there were reports of five survivors but by late afternoon it was officially announced that there were no survivors.
While it may be too early to speculate on the actual cause of the crash, it is worth pointing out that the aircraft was attempting to land in bad weather and with visibility not very good. It has also been reported that several flights to the capital had in recent days been delayed or cancelled. Islamabad’s airport is equipped with ILS (instrument landing system) which means that pilots can land in bad weather. Having said that, though, the chances for something going wrong, or perhaps even pilot error, always increase when there is bad weather. Several visitors to the website of this newspaper, which was carrying live updates of the crash and the rescue effort, have pointed out that the aircraft was trying to land using ILS but on a runway that requires the pilot to fly parallel to the Margallas. The airport has two runways but reportedly only one has ILS (which one hopes was operational on July 28) and this is the one that requires a slightly riskier approach. Risky if there is bad weather. Common sense would suggest that the pilot should have perhaps turned the plane back and landed in Lahore. Common sense would also dictate that it is about time that the Civil Aviation Authority install ILS on both runways. Of course, that is of no solace to the families of the 152 who died on the slopes of the Margallas.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 29th, 2010.
Reader Comments (4)
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impaired pilot is one who is sick , tired and aged was on the controls
At a time when fog and rain the pilot did not have 20/20 vision.
The pilot ignored the control tower and took the plane after his first aborted attempt into the hills.
Pilot had been in hospital AGHA Khan for three months. The pilot retired from PIA and Flies this plane from Turke to Karachi and then on to Islamabad. (Pilot fatigue and Imparied pilot are the cause of this tragedy)Recommend
Though we don’t know the real fact behind the plane crash but no one have right to blame the dead pilot. As a matter of fact, the pilot was an experienced one and who wants to die. He might have tried his best to save not only his life but the 152 lives board on the plane as well. It was fate that brought death to them though we cant ignore the technical errors as well. But blaming a dead one is not fair. The pilot might be tired of long duty hours but still he was a seasoned pilot and he had a family too. Just feel the pain of those who lost their loved ones. Instead of firing bullets blindly lets pray for the departed souls. May Allah place them all in heaven, Mercy upon them and grant the patience to the saddened families. May Allah protect us all from ill-fate.Recommend
I don’t know where Mr. Akram got his information from.
Capt. Pervez Choudhry had over 25,000 hours of flying experience. However that does not make him a good pilot. He made a fatal mistake and doomed everyone.
Mr. Editor, the ILS is located on runway 30. It it my understanding that he was circling to land on the opposite runway 12. That has what is called a “back-course” approach facility — not as precise as ILS. Nevertheless it is perfectly permissible to land on 12. Yu just need to follow the correct procedure Capt. Choudhry obviously lost “situational awareness” which means that despite the sophisticated “glass cockpit” aircraft he was flying neither he nor his F/O knew where they were. If they did, he would have not hit a mountain.
The Government/CAA is unlikely to install an ILS on 12 since the new airport is being built near Fatehjang which I am sure will be fully equipped with the best navigational aids available.Recommend
The pilot was my maternal aunt’s next door neighbour for many many years & was almost like a family to them. In fact, I met him & his family on various occasions while visiting my aunt. A very pious & friendly person, and always there for others. He was always the back up pilot, first in PIA & now in Air Blue whenever any pilot failed to show up for duty. Being the person he was, he never refused despite his family and my cousins often telling him to learn to say no.
My aunt told us that Captain Parvez Chaudhry flew a plane from Italy to Karachi, returned home & slept at 3:30am. A call from Air Blue came at 5:30am informing the son that the pilot of the 7:45am flight to Islamabad hadn’t reported on duty so he should come. Captain Chaudhry’s son woke his father and he left, despite not being on duty.
Captain Chaudhry I am sure would not have risked so many lives on purpose. I know of pilots who say he was one of the most professional pilots and the best instructor they ever had. It is wrong to just blame him. Agreed that indeed Captain Chaudhry was fatigued, but he had flown planes under fatigue on numerous occasions before. What about the pilot who did not show up for duty? Is he not responsible for forcing a fatigued pilot to fly a plane just because he did not show up? Is Air Blue not equally responsible to wake up a fatigued pilot & ask him to show up at an hour’s notice for duty? Couldn’t Air Blue have called up another back up pilot who was not fatigued? And it is high time that such God-fearing and always-there-for-the-others souls learn to say no to airlines. That is the only way that airlines & pilots not showing up for duty realise the height of responsibility managing crew and flying airplanes is. It is a truly regrettable loss of lives, especially the younger lot, of whom some were my seniors and some, juniors in school and university.Recommend