As per a preliminary report submitted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the ill-fated PK-8303 got crashed as a result of the pilot’s non-compliance to the instructions of the air-traffic controller (ATC). To explain why did PK-8303 get crashed, the CAA reportedly said in a letter to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that the pilot of the crashed aircraft did not follow the instructions of the ATC.
Stunning Revelations Reported in the initial investigations report by CAA over ill-fated crashed PIA flight PK 8303 https://t.co/y59Eea5Rpt pic.twitter.com/hBNVnWo8AC
— Times of lsIamabad (@TimesofIslambad) June 3, 2020
The Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (Palpa) regretted the release of limited details about the crash. The Palpla spokesperson maintained that it was tantamount to influencing the ongoing investigation.
On the other hand, the Sindh health department said in a tweet on Wednesday that 91 of the 97 bodies of plane crash victims had been identified and handed over to their families.
PK-8303 get crashed: CAA’s explains to the PIA officials
The June 2 letter from CAA official Iftikhar Ahmed to the PIA safety and quality assurance department, while pointing out “non-compliance of ATC instructions” by PK-8303, asked him to “ensure avoidance of recurrence of such situation in the interest of flight safety”.
It claimed that the pilot was warned twice about his speed and high altitude for the approach but he did not follow.
It said that PK-8303 was cleared to an altitude of 3,000 feet while entering the control zone that is 25 nautical miles (NM), but the aircraft was spotted at a high altitude of over 5,000 feet over Makli.
“The same was communicated to the pilot who reported comfortable for descent. Later, at 10NM pilot was again cautioned by offering an orbit to adjust his high altitude for approach, which he did not accept,” it added.
Read More: Pilot violated the rules which led to PIA plane crash
Quoting the approach controller, the letter read: “When aircraft was 7NM final from touchdown RWY [runway] 25L passing 5,200 feet, it was relatively high as per the standard approach profile. I instructed pilot twice to discontinue approach and turn left heading 180 [degree] which he did not comply and continued to proceed towards RWY 25L with his own discretion to establish ILS approach. I again warned aircraft at 05NM from touchdown which was passing 3,500 feet. At 04NM aircraft was observed approaching 1,300 feet with ground speed of 250 knots. Aircraft was observed passing runway threshold at ground speed of 210 knots.”
The CAA said the plane lifted up from the runway and crashed over Model Colony while attempting a second approach for runway 25-L.
PIA’s flight PK-661 crashed: Where is the report?
On Dec 7, 2016, the PIA aircraft ATR42-500 (PK-661) en route to Islamabad from Chitral had crashed into the mountains near Havelian tehsil of Abbottabad. T
The Safety Investigation Board (SIB) report blamed the maintenance department of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the crash of PK-661 near Havelian in 2016, which killed 48 passengers including Junaid Jamshed, prominent Islamic preacher.
The preliminary report cited lapse in maintenance by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the possible cause of the incident, which was triggered by safety check failure and engine defect.
Interestingly, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on February 7, 2019 strongly censured the CAA over its failure in completing the inquiry into the 2016 Havelian plane crash despite a passage of 26 months.
Read More: PIA plane crash investigators find Rs 30 million from the wreckage
Rejecting the CAA’s request for eight more months to complete the probe, Justice Aamir Farooq ordered the authority to submit the inquiry report by the first week of March.
Importantly, PIA’s CEO Azam Saigol resigned after a week of the crash citing personal reasons.
12 plane crash incidents: Make all plane crash reports public
while explaining why did PK-8303 get crashed, Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that the government had announced Rs1 million compensation for the families of those who were killed in the PIA plane crash.
He said that 12 plane crash incidents have happened till yet since the creation of Pakistan, adding that all investigation reports on the plane crash will be made public and to be present before parliament.
“Government will present the initial investigation report of PIA plane crash before parliament on June 22,” said the minister.
Read More: PM Khan briefed about PIA plane crash investigation as black box found
The aircraft with 99 passengers and crew members on board had crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at Karachi airport. Only two people survived the tragic incident.
PALPA protests probe leak
Meanwhile, the PALPA on Tuesday protested against the alleged leak of details of a probe into the plane crash.
'Limited flight details are being released maliciously': Spokesperson PALPAhttps://t.co/1fkodODA0C#BaaghiTV #Pakistan #PALPA #PIA #PK8303 #PlaneCrash @Official_PIA @OfficialPALPA @ChMSarwar @ImranKhanPTI
— Baaghi TV باغی ٹی وی (@BaaghiTV) June 4, 2020
“The administration seems no more interested in conducting a thorough probe into the incident,” PALPA claimed in a statement, adding that the leak was aimed at diverting the investigation into the incident that claimed lives of 97 people onboard except two survivors. “They want to save the real characters behind the incident,” it alleged.
Read More: PIA plane crash: How to cope with a national tragedy
The association said that the pilots also have questions to be asked from the air traffic control officials.
They asked why a long route was designated for the ill-fated plane. “The air traffic control officials are trying to portray a wrong picture by merging details of first and second landing attempts of the plane,” PALPA said.