PIA Chief Air Marshall Arshad Malik breaks silence over the ill fated Aircraft technical aspect
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KARACHI: PIA Chief Air Marshall Arshad Malik breaks silence over the ill fated Aircraft technical aspect.
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane that crashed earlier today was "technically sound", the national carrier's chief executive said Friday in a press conference here in the city.
PIA CEO Arshad Malik said the Aviation Ministry would oversee an inquiry into the incident and that his team stood with the government of Pakistan, the armed forces, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
"We will need 2-3 days to complete the operation," Malik said. "The airplane was technically sound.
"The aviation ministry will oversee an inquiry into the incident. We want the inquiry report to be completed as soon as possible but we cannot say when. We do not wish to interfere with the inquiry in any way."
The PIA boss confirmed that 99 people, including passengers and air crew, were aboard the flight and that as of now, "we have reports of 19 dead in Civil Hospital and 22 in other hospitals".
He said the pilot established a final landing approach and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) control room gave him a green signal to go ahead.
"The pilot then did a go-around. He said he is preparing for a second approach.
"Now what was the reason for the go-around? Please do not have any suspicions or doubts," Malik said, adding that facts could be ascertained through flight recorder and the black box. "Nothing can be said till the black box is retrieved."
The PIA top official added that after the go-around, the pilot gave a call stating he "will establish for second approach".
