Required machinery was not available during relief operation.
PHOTO: FILE
The relief operation after the accident involving the passenger plane also exposed the efficiency and preparedness of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the country’s most profitable institution, said the sources.
They said that during the relief operation, the required machinery, like hydraulic crane and tug master, was not available. The services of a construction contractor had to be hired to bring the ATR aircraft back to the runway, they said, adding that an expensive aircraft was brought to the airport parking with the help of a tractor.
PIA aircraft skids at Panjgur airport
“The plane was brought back to the runway with ropes tied around it,” said the sources, adding that the aircraft was removed from the accident site with the assistance of a local contractor, instead of a tug master.
According to the international aviation laws, the CAA is supposed to assist in case of any accident.
The sources said that due to non-availability of the required machinery at the airport, it took more than 24 hours to take the aircraft out of the soft land.
The accident has made it clear as to why other airlines stay away from flying to Panjgur and other such air bases, according to the sources.
In his reaction, a spokesperson for the CAA said, “Since only ATR aircraft lands at Panjgur airport, there is no need for a tug master which is used to provide relief to larger planes.”
A novel use of blankets by national flag carrier
He added that the responsibility for arranging the machinery in case of an accident rested with the concerned airline, and not the CAA.
Panjgur Airport is a demostic and partially international airport located in Makran division of Balochistan.
Panjgur incident
The tyre of PIA flight PK-517 coming to Panjgur from Karachi had burst during the landing. However, the pilot controlled the aircraft and halted it at soft land near the runway. No one was hurt in the accident.
“Due to congested runway at the Panjgur Airport, the wheels of PK-517 burst down and it didn’t make a smooth landing, slipping away from the runway,” said officials.
The flight had departed from Karachi at 8:20am for Panjgur with 43 passengers onboard.
The footages from the scene show passengers rushing out of the plane and rescue workers flanked with firefighters reaching the spot for relief operation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ