ISLAMABAD: *Stunning Revelations have been made in the PIA Plane CrashInquiry Report.*
Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Monday said thepreliminary investigation report on the Karachi plane crash incident willbe presented in the National Assembly on Wednesday along with previousreports.
“I had promised the nation that I would present the report of the planecrash. The report is ready,” the minister said, adding that Prime MinisterImran Khan has also been briefed about the report and the findings.
The minister went on to add that the findings will be shared with thenation on Wednesday along with reports on air accidents occurred between2010 to 2020.
Earlier, Khan met the prime minister and briefed him on the investigationsmade into the incident.
On May 22, flight PK-8303 crashed in Model Colony near the JinnahInternational Airport in Karachi, killing 97 people while two miraculouslysurvived.
Following the crash, PM Imran and relevant authorities ordered a probe intothe incident to determine why the plane had crashed. Airbus experts werecalled to Karachi a few days after the crash to investigate the incident.
Ghulam Sarwar had said during a National Assembly session that he wouldpresent the report in the assembly by June 22.
Sarwar had said during a press conference as well that those who wereresponsible for the air crash would be held accountable after a‘transparent inquiry’ took place.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a report issued on June 3 had allegedthat the PIA pilot violated landing protocols.
According to the report, the pilot disregarded air traffic control’s (ATC)direction to lower the altitude.
In his letter to the general manager (safety), the additional director offlight operations has stated the plane’s altitude and speed were higherthan the required limit for landing. The ATC had cautioned the pilot twicebut he disregarded the warnings.
According to a recording, the PIA pilot had sent a Mayday call and toldcontrollers the aircraft had lost power from both its engines on its secondattempt to land.
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After the aircraft reportedly called off an earlier attempt to land andwent around for a second attempt, a controller radioed the pilot of flight8303 that he appeared to be turning left, suggesting he was off-course.
The pilot replied, “We are returning back, sir, we have lost engines,” andthe controller cleared the plane to land on either of Karachi airport’s twoWest-Southwest-facing runways.
Twelve seconds later, the pilot called “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” and wasagain cleared to use either runway.
There was no further communication from the aircraft, reported to be anAirbus A320, according to the audio from liveatc.net, a respected sourcefor in-flight recordings.
Earlier, father of PIA pilot Captain Sajjad Gul had said he did not have“an ounce of faith” in the airline’s inquiry into the tragic plane crashwhich left 97 dead — including his son.
Gul Muhammad Bhatti said it “pained him to say that the PIA’s top hierarchyitself is leaking bits of the inquiry report and blaming people left andright for negligence”.
He said that they (PIA) are “not trustworthy people” and are “not fit toconduct an inquiry”.
“Those people are not professional and are not good people,” he said.
“He has logged in 17,000 hours. He is the only pilot to have completed1,000 hours in a year […] he is a thorough professional,” said theaggrieved father.
Bhatti said that he has faith, however, in the assurances given by thegovernor who has said he “stands with him” and in the prime minister.
He said no remarks must be made until the black box’s contents come forwardand he will comment “if justice is not done”.
