PPP chairman, others on board unscathed in incident. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI: A plane carrying Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari skidded off the runway at the Benazir International Airport in Islamabad on Sunday.
Bilawal, as well as, all other passengers and crew on board the flight, however, remained unhurt in the incident.
Sources at the airport told The Express Tribune that the private jet skidded off the runway, but luckily stopped only after drifting away by 10 feet.
Rescue teams of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), present at the airport, reached the spot immediately after the incident and safely evacuated all on-board, including the PPP chairman, to Raval Lounge of the airport.
The runway at the old Islamabad airport was temporarily shut for all flights after a similar incident last night, sources further said, adding that the plane carrying Bilawal was taken to apron using heavy machinery.
The front tyre of the aircraft skidded during the landing due to failure of its hydraulic break, they added.
PIA aircraft collides with stair car at Islamabad airport
Last year in December, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft in Islamabad collided with a passenger stair car while departing for Karachi.
PIA’s Flight PK-373 was set to depart for Karachi on December 27 when the aircraft collided with a passenger stair car while leaving the airport apron, damaging the wing of the aircraft.
Earlier in November, an aircraft of PIA skidded off the runway at the Panjgur airport. Everybody onboard remained unhurt.
A tyre of the plane, flying from Karachi to Panjgur, burst during landing. The pilot of PIA’s flight PK-517, however, remained in control of the aircraft and successfully brought it to a halt near the runway, according to sources.
Such incidents involving the national flag carrier are not uncommon. In March 2013, tyres of a PIA plane burst while the aircraft made an emergency landing in Quetta. All passengers on board remained unharmed.
A plane carrying @BBhuttoZardari skid off the runway Airport in Islamabad. Bilawal & other people including crew unhurt and safe #ppp #Bilawal pic.twitter.com/djkv1vEcr0
— Ziauddin Shah (@zatsbrown) January 13, 2019
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