Three years on: CAA releases Bhoja air crash report
Cites incorrect crew selection among factors leading to the accident
People stand amid the debris of Bhoja Air Boeing 737 crash on the outskirts of Islamabad on April 25, 2012. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
KARACHI:
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) released its investigation report on Bhoja Air flight BHO-213 on Wednesday, nearly three years after the flight crashed near Islamabad, killing all 127 people on board.
The Express Tribune had reported the investigation’s details and findings a year ago. The CAA report confirmed those findings that the unfortunate plane was a Boeing 737-236a – an advanced version of the Boeing 737-200 – on which the pilots had not been trained by the airline. The CAA report notes that the “ineffective automated flight deck management in extreme adverse weather conditions by cockpit crew caused the accident.”
It cited “incorrect selection of cockpit crew on account of their inadequate flying experience, training and competence level for Boeing 737-236A (an advanced version of the Boeing 737-200 series), absence of formal simulator training in respect of FO for handling an automated flight deck and non-existence of cockpit crew professional competence/skill level monitoring system at operator level (Bhoja Air),” as factors which led to the crash as well.
According to the report, the cockpit crew made an incorrect decision to continue the flight towards the destination and did not adhere to remedial actions recommended by Boeing due to the non-availability of customised aircraft documents at Bhoja Air for Boeing 737-236A.
The report also found that CAA was unable to ensure automated flight deck variance type training and monitoring requirements primarily due to incorrect information provided by Bhoja Air.
In January 2014, The Express Tribune had reported that Bhoja had bought the aircraft after obtaining all relevant checks and approvals in January 2012. On the 12th of that month, CAA inspectors Shaukat Hameed and Javed Afzal undertook a detailed inspection of the aircraft at Johannesburg.
They pointed out 28 discrepancies, which ranged from peeled-off paint to a fan blade of one engine sporting a cut. They also examined the waviness of the blade. All defects were removed in following weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2015.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) released its investigation report on Bhoja Air flight BHO-213 on Wednesday, nearly three years after the flight crashed near Islamabad, killing all 127 people on board.
The Express Tribune had reported the investigation’s details and findings a year ago. The CAA report confirmed those findings that the unfortunate plane was a Boeing 737-236a – an advanced version of the Boeing 737-200 – on which the pilots had not been trained by the airline. The CAA report notes that the “ineffective automated flight deck management in extreme adverse weather conditions by cockpit crew caused the accident.”
It cited “incorrect selection of cockpit crew on account of their inadequate flying experience, training and competence level for Boeing 737-236A (an advanced version of the Boeing 737-200 series), absence of formal simulator training in respect of FO for handling an automated flight deck and non-existence of cockpit crew professional competence/skill level monitoring system at operator level (Bhoja Air),” as factors which led to the crash as well.
According to the report, the cockpit crew made an incorrect decision to continue the flight towards the destination and did not adhere to remedial actions recommended by Boeing due to the non-availability of customised aircraft documents at Bhoja Air for Boeing 737-236A.
The report also found that CAA was unable to ensure automated flight deck variance type training and monitoring requirements primarily due to incorrect information provided by Bhoja Air.
In January 2014, The Express Tribune had reported that Bhoja had bought the aircraft after obtaining all relevant checks and approvals in January 2012. On the 12th of that month, CAA inspectors Shaukat Hameed and Javed Afzal undertook a detailed inspection of the aircraft at Johannesburg.
They pointed out 28 discrepancies, which ranged from peeled-off paint to a fan blade of one engine sporting a cut. They also examined the waviness of the blade. All defects were removed in following weeks.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2015.