Pakistan

Work on flight data of crashed PIA airliner to start June 2 in France

The mission on site (of the crash) is about to be completed, says French air safety investigation authority

Reuters May 30, 2020

The mission on site (of the crash) is about to be completed,” says French air safety investigation. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: Work on the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of a crashed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane will begin in France on June 2, investigators said on Saturday.

“The mission on site (of the crash) is about to be completed,” BEA, the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation, said on Twitter.

It added that Pakistani investigators would fly to France along with the French team.

(1/2) ⚠️ Accident @Airbus #A320 AP-BLD @Official_PIA / la mission sur site est sur le point de se terminer / @BEA_Aero @Airbus @SafranEngines @CFM_engines & L’AAIB du Pakistan se rendront ensuite en France. #PIA8303
— BEA ✈️ ⚙️🔬🇫🇷 (@BEA_Aero) May 30, 2020

An A320 of the PIA crashed in the Model Colony neighbourhood of Karachi, while approaching for landing at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport on May 22. Eighty-nine passengers and eight crew members on board died in the crash while two passengers survived miraculously.

Airbus experts visit crash site as ATC blames pilot error

Under international aviation rules, BEA investigators joined the Pakistan-led inquiry because the 15-year-old jet was designed in France.

The 11-member team of the Airbus, the manufacturer of the ill-fated aircraft, visited the crash site on Friday while domestic investigators recorded the statement of Air controllers, who pinned the blame on the pilot.

The Pakistan government had notified a four-member investigating team, headed by Air Commodore Usman Ghani.

The France-based Airbus company sent a team of experts to Karachi on Tuesday.

The French experts immediately started their investigation after reaching the terminal on a special flight from Toulouse. They underwent the coronavirus precautionary measures in place at the airport and were all cleared to proceed.

Later, the team visited the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) headquarters where they were given a detailed briefing on the ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board’s (AAIB) four-member investigation team.

With input from News Desk