PM flew in PK-661 plane a week before crash

Senior CAA official says both engines of PK-661 were fit to fly

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had travelled in the same PIA plane to Gwadar a week before it crashed near Havelian last month, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Secretary Irfan Elahi told a Senate committee on Thursday.

A senior CAA official also told the panel that both engines of the ill-fated PIA flight PK-661, were fit to fly when it took off from Chitral airport.



Sharing the findings from the black box of the ill-fated ATR aircraft with the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedures and Privileges, CAA Secretary Irfan Elahi said aviation authorities are now looking into how the plane crashed despite having one of its engines still operational at the time. “According to black box data, the plane made no attempt to land,” he said.

Giving out details from the black box report, Elahi said the first call from the aircraft to the control room was made at 4:12pm. “The pilot’s voice appeared to be calm when he made the call,” he said. However, the pilot issued a ‘mayday’ distress call two minutes later, saying one of the plane’s engines had stopped working,” the CAA secretary added.

At 4:17pm, the plane altered its course east instead of heading south, at which point the control room tried to get in touch with the pilot. The last communication with the pilot was recorded at 4:17pm. “Ten to 15 minutes later, the plane was reported to have crashed,” Elahi told the panel.



The CAA secretary said data from the black box was ‘100% unaltered’, adding that an independent investigation was conducted into the crash, without any involvement from CAA or Pakistan International Airlines. He also revealed that the prime minister had travelled on the same plane to Gwadar a week before the crash. Elahi said the remains of the crashed aircraft have been moved to Islamabad.

Flight PK-661 crashed near Havelian while flying to Islamabad from Chitral on December 7 last year, killing all 48 passengers and crew onboard. The victims included singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed, his wife and the deputy commissioner of Chitral district.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2017.