Margalla Hills tragedy remembered

Fifteen years have passed since the tragic Airblue plane crash in the Margalla Hills, yet the pain of losing loved ones remains etched in the hearts of the bereaved families.

The ill-fated flight, Airblue ABQ-202, en route from Karachi to Islamabad, crashed into the Margalla Hills on July 28, 2010, killing all 152 people on board, including six crew members and Captain Pervez Iqbal Chaudhry.

The Safety Investigation Board (SIB), in its final report, held the pilot responsible for the accident, citing serious violations of flying discipline. The report revealed that the captain had placed the aircraft in an unsafe situation, attempting to descend in poor weather while disregarding flight procedures and air traffic control instructions.

Investigators also pointed to a breakdown in cockpit resource management and poor crew coordination, noting that despite being aware of the captain's critical mistakes, the co-pilot failed to intervene. The cockpit environment was described as "extremely tense and unpleasant," which contributed to the crew's inability to manage the situation effectively.

According to the report, the captain was aware of adverse weather conditions over Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore that day.

At 9.36am, the crew had contacted the air traffic control tower regarding weather and wind conditions and were advised of strong crosswinds and the unavailability of the runway due to heavy clouds. Despite these warnings, the pilot attempted to land, resulting in the aircraft crashing into the hills.