Three years since PIA plane crash in Karachi

Final investigation report on incident expected to take another year to complete

KARACHI:

It has been three years since the tragic crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane in Karachi, resulting in the loss of 97 lives, including eight crew members.

Flight PK 8303, which was en route from Lahore to Karachi on the occasion of Eid, crashed at Jinnah Garden, a residential area near the main runway.

An interim report, presented to the National Assembly by the previous government, found the captain and assistant captain of the plane guilty of negligence. However, the final report is expected to take another year to complete.

In response to the incident, PIA has implemented a safety management system and risk assessment system on flights. These measures aim to promptly identify any routine errors made by cockpit crew [captain and assistant captain] that may conflict with the rules and regulations, ensuring the safety of passengers.

On May 22, 2020, the ill-fated plane took off from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport at 1:10 a.m, with 91 passengers and eight crew members on board. The flight was the first after a two-month suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At 2:37 PM, during the landing attempt at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, the plane experienced an uneven landing, prompting the captain to initiate a go-around. Unfortunately, the plane crashed at Jinnah Garden, just one kilometre away from the runway.

The aircraft, which was 11 years old, made contact with the runway without deploying its landing gear. The air traffic controller on duty had previously alerted the captain, Sajjad Gul, about the high altitude and speed of the plane. Instead of the designated 1800 feet, the plane was at 3000 feet. The captain acknowledged the instruction to adjust the altitude and speed.

However, during the landing attempt, it became evident from the CCTV footage that the landing gear was not deployed. The captain communicated with the control tower for one minute and sixteen seconds, making two Mayday distress calls, reporting a jammed landing gear and engine failure.

Shortly after, the aircraft disappeared from the radar. During the go-around manoeuvre, the plane collided with a concrete water tank on the top floor of a house in Jinnah Garden, causing a loud crash as it subsequently hit other houses in the area.

The accident resulted in the loss of 97 lives, while Bank of Punjab president Zafar Masood and passenger, Muhammad Zubair miraculously survived.

The government established the Pakistan Team Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board, which was led by Air Commodore Usman Ghani, to investigate the incident at a national level.

An Airbus team arrived in Karachi three days after the crash to examine the plane's engines, landing gear, wings, and avionics systems.

Regarding compensations, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan stated that the families of the 80 deceased passengers have received Rs10 million per person as insurance, along with Rs1,000,000 for immediate needs such as burial and funeral rituals.

However, payments for the remaining passengers have been delayed due to incomplete documentation or pending court cases related to their family inheritance.