Aviation ministry to probe PIA plane crash

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The deeply saddened Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Marshal Arshad Malik, announced that the ministry of aviation would oversee the inquiry into the PIA plane crash on May 22.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, where the national carrier's afternoon flight, coming from Lahore, crashed just before landing at the Jinnah International Airport, emphatically declared that the aircraft 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. We will need two to three days to complete the operation," he said, adding that his team stood with the government of Pakistan, the armed forces, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). 

The PIA chief confirmed that 99 people, including passengers and air crew, were aboard the flight and he had reports of 19 dead in Civil Hospital and 22 in other hospitals at the time of the press conference. 

He revealed that the pilot had 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 saying he’s preparing for a second approach. Now what was the reason for the go-around? Please do not have any suspicions or doubts. Nothing can be said till the black box is retrieved," he stated. 

"Something happened there and there can only be ambiguities until we receive the voice and data recorders. I say this with responsibility that when it is received, we'll know whether there was a technical fault, some other issues, some outside activity or bird hit,” the Air Marshal added. 

"When the plane lowered down, the ATC asked the pilot if there was an issue and the pilot responds, 'Yes, I am facing a problem,' after which the communication gets cut off,” he revealed. 

The PIA helmsman declared that the families of the victims were welcome to come and stay at the airport hotels which had been vacated. “All affected persons are going to be accommodated in airport hotels and other government facilities in Qasr-e-Naz," he said. 

"The plane crash-landed in a street; there was damage to the nearby houses but thankfully no building collapsed," he noted.