Plane of Pakistani father-son duo flying around the world crashes into the Pacific
The father-son duo of Babar Suleman and Haris Suleman were flying from American Samoa Island to Hawaii in their Hawker Beechcraft Bonanza when their plane crashed shortly after taking off from Pago Pago International Airport.
Hiba Suleman, Haris's sister, confirmed on her Facebook account that the body of her brother had been recovered, while rescue teams are still searching for her father.
Haris's uncle Air Vice Marshal (retd) Abid Rao confirmed to The Express Tribune that the plane, a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza, crashed near Pago Pago Island when the father son duo had left it for Hawaii. "We are very sad. It was the last leg of their trip, a journey of 13-14 hours. But their plane crashed within two minutes after they took off." He said that the incident took place between 6 to 6:30 pm PST.
He said that the body recovered was that of Haris but that of Babar and the plane wreckage has yet to be found.
Last known location of the plane. PHOTO: dev.trootrax.com
Mian Washim, a Pakistani-American businessman and a close family friend of the Suleman family told The Express Tribune that "there was no indication as to why the crash happened except that the crash site was about one mile from the end of the runway and out to sea.”
“It is very unlikely they had reached an altitude that enabled them to contact the Air Traffic Control in Samoa,” said Washim.
“The area [where plane crashed] is in the New Zealand SAR region and it was New Zealand SAR that received a distress signal from the aircraft. The timing of the signal (possibly a satellite ping) put it very close to the crash site when transmitted.
“Haris’s body was found soon after the arrival of the rescue boat sent from the island’s Fire and Crash service. There was an active locator beacon working but no information as to whether it was attached to Haris’s life jacket or not.
There is no information as to the condition or status of the aircraft.”
Since a large portion of their trip was to take place over water, their plane had been stocked with relief equipment life rafts, and "gumby" suits for ocean survival in the event of an ocean landing.
Gumby suits are only worn by the pilots while flying over water for extended periods of time.
This, however, seems to not have provided them protection from a crash.
On the home stretch, the father and son duo had not found any fuel in Kiritimati and had flown from New Caledonia to Pago Pago where they had topped up with fuel for the 17 hour flight to Honolulu.
No fuel in Kiritimati, going from New Caledonia to Pago Pago, then direct Hawaii. That's about 21 hours of flying in two days. 😅
— BonanzaBoi (@worldrounder) July 20, 2014
This was the last tweet from Haris' account.
everyone knows I'm in over my head
— Ur Captain Speakin' (@HarisPls) July 23, 2014
Crash to be investigated
NTSB is investigating today’s accident in Pago Pago, American Samoa involving a Beech A36 Bonanza.
— NTSB (@NTSB) July 23, 2014
National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Terry Williams told The Express Tribune that they will be investigating the unfortunate crash.
“We confirm the plane crashed.”
Williams, however, said the cause of the Beechcraft Bonanza crashing had yet to be ascertained by investigators. He did not share any further details.
A journey for education
Seventeen year old Haris was the youngest Pilot in Command to attempt circumnavigating the world in a single engine plane. But the trip served a greater purpose.
They started in Indiana, US, taking off on June 19. Their goal was education for underprivileged children and aimed at raising funds for The Citizens Foundation.
The trip stretched over five continents, a journey across three oceans, and landings in 15 countries – Suleman touched down in Reykjavik, Crete, Aswan (Egypt), Nagpur (India), Bali, Nadi (Fiji), Pago Pago (American Samoa). Kiribati (Christmas Island), Kona (Hawaii), were amongst the cities he would have landed in before reaching the American mainland, but for the crash.
His Pakistan leg of the journey included stops in Lahore, Sargodha and Islamabad.
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COMMENTS (75)
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A brave duo lost in this mishap. Very sad indeed. May Allah rest their souls in peace. Ameen.
Very sad. May Allah have mercy on them.
Deeply saddened to hear about the loss of young talented Pilot ,They were out for a noble Cause and doing something positive for their mother country,May Allah grant them higher place in Jannat
Any life lost is is sad and that said we are missing a very important point, the cause was very note worthy also but the pilot was very young and the father had no flying credentials and to undertake such a challenge was may be a little to immature putting both their lives in jeaopardy? Could the young man had some more flying hours and may be this could have avoided the sorry loss of life. The Pakistani embassy in Washington DC has taken no advantage to highlight this brave attempt to raise awareness of this family to help schools in disadvantage areas. It was the local American media that highlighted the brave act of the father son duo. Shame on the Pakistani embassy for not using the moment to highlight that even though there are Pakistanis living abroad they care for the poor & trodden trodden back home, while the Ambassador of Pakistan is staging dinners & fashion shows & their wives are busy shopping at the local malls!
Very sad incident. Brave duo. May God their soul rest in peace.
How could a father support his teenage son on risking his life for charity.really sorry for what happened but the father did wrong by playing a part in the flight. The effort to collect in charity for TCF child education isn't worth a teens life. cant be that way
@Imran: There are many of us who are praying for you and your family, and while we cannot feel the pain to your level, please know that our eyes weep too. May Haris' abu be found....ameen.
@Analyst:
As an "analyst" you surely lack common sense. You can't seem to decipher when & where is it an appropriate time or place to say certain things. Your comment is in poor taste, it lacks class & dignity, which is a true reflection of your character. Some forums/topics are just sacred. You must have a pretty sad existence if you chose THIS topic to leave your tasteless comment on. Perhaps you could not figure out from the +60 other comments here, that this is a place for sympathy, prayer & reflection. Disgusting excuse for a "human".
@Imran: Our prayers are with you & rest of the family bro.. I pray to God for Mr. Baber's safe return.. May Allah protect us & our loved ones from all incidents & hardship.. Ameen
They were up for a noble cause. God bless them
@fauziah:
Being a member of their family, I can assure you that your insensitive comment is the last thing we wish to read at the moment. Having no knowledge of the cause of the crash, i don't think you have any right to question Haris's and Baber Uncle's passion and twist it in another direction.
All we want from you guys is to pray for the miraculous return of Baber uncle.
@desi: they did stop in Lahore: http://tribune.com.pk/story/731537/40-mission-complete-17-year-old-pilot-reaches-lahore/
On the last leg of the tour around the world?? How sad is that !! Could it be a conspiracy to prevent the Muslim father-son team from setting a record of sorts? What do you Pakistanis think?
@fauziah: Statistically, every single time you get into a car and onto a road, you are far more at risk of losing your life than when you get on a plane. Plane crashes are so shocking precisely because they are so rare, certainly in comparison to fatal car crashes. Of course this is extremely upsetting, and indeed a tragedy. But please don't dismiss the father-son duo's noble intention based on a phobia. They were generous souls. May they rest in peace.
very sad news
The fate took their last flight to final destination. May their soul RIP
For crying out loud, so many people die every day, around 500 have been killed by Israel and you guys are weeping over the death of one Pakistani.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Mercy???
RIP: Inna Lillahe Wainna Alaihe Rajeon
Its heart breaking and I sorry for rest of family. Unfortunately however it also looks as a selfish pursuit for chance of a record. Otherwise the 17 year old would not have been in command. To generate excitement and revenue for this journey and the charitable side of it was that (17 year old pilot) necessary? May be yes but then not much can be expected from a 17 year old in terms of experience when facing unknown weather or other phenomenon during flight. If the father was indeed in charge then a young and unfulfilled life has been wasted regardless, again at the alter of ambition.
It was their destiny to die like this, no words can compensate the loss of the family.. May their souls rest in peace. I believe we should respect the noble cause for which they lost their lives.
this plane was downed intentionally as USA was scared they would break records. The world is controlled by USA.
Very sad news, Inna Nilahe Wa Inna Alai Rajay Oon. They were doing something very positive for Pakistan, supporting TCF and education of poor Pakistanis. May this act of kindness be their biggest blessing in the here after. It is also an honor to help fellow human beings, and Allah (SWT) loves the people that help other unfortunate people, also their departure in Holy Month of Ramadan, is also in itself a sign of blessing and forgiveness from Allah (SWT), as the last Ashra of Ramadan is very special. I was following their journey on the website which was updated regularly by Mr. Babar Suleiman, a very well written blog. I hope tribune.com does not sensor the address, if I post it here, to show the wonderful work that was being carried on by this amazing Father/Son team. This is the website, maybe it will inspire More Pakistanis to do something for the poor Pakistanis and their last act of kindness and care for the fellow human beings will live on. Please visit, flyaroundtheworldin30days.com to see the blogs by Mr. Babar Suleiman, May his and son's soul rest in peace.
They were promoting education for poor people they were doing jihad thus they are shaheeds all my respect to them..
A brave duo lost in this mishap. Very sad indeed. May Allah rest their souls in peace. Ameen.
Very sad to learn about the sad demise of father/son who were on a noble cause. A very brave duo indeed. May God rest their souls in peace. Ameen.
Everything and everyone dies. To die doing something extraordinary while doing good for others is a fortunate death given to few.
RIP Suleman Sr and Jr, May your souls rest in peace .Ameen
very sad and heart breaking news.. may the deceased soul rest in peace… Wishing for the survival of the father….
So many things can go wrong due to weather or plane fatigue in such a long journey that I would never take my son on any adventure like this, ever. For curious readers: Check YouTube "Plane crash investigation" reports by NTSB.
I am totally shocked!
Really really sad news. May their souls R.I.P.
Inna lillah hi wa inna elehi rajioun. Every thing is from God Almighty. They gone famous due to this trip.& the time was fixed but who knows......May God bless them and their souls rest in peace.
It is so sad to read this news. May Almighty Allah rest their soul in peace and give courage to their family to bear this irreparable loss. Aameen !
The plane was too heavy to fly Innal lil lahi wa innalli Lahae raje oonn
Very sad news. We were hoping for their safe journey. God bless them. RIP.
sad news May Allah rest their souls in peace and grant saber to the rest of their family in this hard time.
I deeply sympathize with the family of the tragic victims. But what are personal lessons learnt? Surely others should abstain. Technically, the weight of fuel possibly was too much. RIP
May God rest their souls in peace. Too young to die, brave kid.
Sad! Mission gone wrong. But then a single engine plane can achieve only that much. RIP dear, it was a brave attempt on your part.
Shocking News, i heard about their trip just a few days back. And it's so sad to hear that their plane crashed in the last stages of the trip. May their souls rest in peace.
May both the souls rest in peace.
Salute the courage!
Very sad. May their souls rest in peace. They started this trip on a noble cause which will still be remembered even thiugh they could not complete the journey.
May God bless their souls & give courage to their family to go through this difficult time..
It is a sad news,perhaps a very tragic incident especially while it was the last leg of their journey and their life jackets could not save them.May their souls rest in peace.
I am so sad on their tragic crash just when they were on their last leg, May Allah accepts their good deeds, Allah we belong Allah we return to.
I just saw them on TV a few days ago !!! ... this is such sad news :((((((( Innalilahe wa inna ilahe raajiuun
How very sad...
We salute you for your great efforts...
Sad news...They had almost done it
Very very sad news for the loved ones, the TCF foundation and the well wishers. Very sad for the loss-of-life of a very young pilot. Only an investigation will reveal the true circumstances the fatefull journey ended in. May Allah give patience to the family members at this sad moment. mfk, Michigan, USA.
Very tragic, indeed. Haris and his father were on round the world trip to raise funds for education. RIP.
sorry to hear that; RIP; I am not sure why did not chose pakistan his stop; Lesson learned never fly old planes when your flying around world!!
Inna Lillah Wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oun (Al-Baqara - 2:156) Truly we belong to Allah and truly to Him shall we return
A very big tragedy, especially since they were trying to do something positive.....
Rest in peace Beautiful boy... It is sad to lose such a good hearted person :(
really sad...
So, so sad.
This is sad news. May their souls rest in peace
What a waste of two lives. I have flying phobia and when i had first read about this i was like now why would a father risk his young sons life over a stupid adventure. I dont care about in what twisted way it was for a good cause. I am really upset.
RIP really tragic
So sad to hear, RIP
Extremely sad news. Must be a very distressing time for the family. My thoughts are with them and I hope they can pull through the tragedy with courage. Another sad aspect of this tragedy for me is the fact I wouldn't have known of this rare adventure by a couple of Pakistanis had it not been for their accident.
my deepest condolences for the family... they died for a cause, but they must've inspired thousands and given hope to thousands along the way.
i would however like to mention that experts on the subject should have warned them of such a threat due to the limitations of the aircraft they were using for the purpose.
May Allah bless them both.
Inna lila hai wa inna illahai rajioon
Totally heartbreaking! They were on their way home!! May the family find sabr during such a difficult time.
Inna Lillahe Wainna Alaihe Rajeon
Very sad. God have mercy on them.
May God bless their souls and accept their good deeds. I saw a video of the young boy and his dad. They were great Pakistani Americans full of love for their mother country.