Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268: Difference between revisions

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268
	Wreckage of AP-BCP
Accident
Date	28 September 1992
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain
Site	Bhattedanda, Nepal ; 27°31′58″N 85°17′05″E / 27.53278°N 85.28472°E
Aircraft
	; AP-BCP, the aircraft involved about seven months before the accident.
Aircraft type	Airbus A300B4-103
Operator	Pakistan International Airlines
IATA flight No.	PK268
ICAO flight No.	PIA268
Call sign	PAKISTAN 268
Registration	AP-BCP
Flight origin	Jinnah International Airport
Destination	Tribhuvan International Airport
Occupants	167
Passengers	155
Crew	12
Fatalities	167
Survivors	0

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Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 was an Airbus A300, registration AP-BCP, which crashed while approaching Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on 28 September 1992. All 167 people on board were killed. Flight 268 is the worst accident in the history of Pakistan International Airlines, and the worst ever to occur in Nepal.^[1]^[2]

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a 16-year-old Airbus A300B4-103 registered as AP-BCP with serial number 025. The aircraft was built in 1976. The aircraft had a total of 39,045 flying hours and 19,172 flight cycles at the time of the accident.^[1]

Crew

The captain was 49-year-old Iftikhar Janjua, who had logged 13,192 flight hours, including 6,260 hours on the Airbus A300. The first officer was 38-year-old Hassan Akhtar, who had 5,849 flight hours, with 1,469 of them on the Airbus A300.

Two flight engineers were on board: one operating and the other observing. The operating flight engineer was a 40-year-old male named Pervaiz Malik ^[3] who had 5,289 flight hours, with 2,516 of them on the Airbus A300. The observing flight engineer, 42-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, had 8,220 flight hours, including 4,503 hours on the Airbus A300.^{[citation needed]}

Accident

Flight 268 departed Karachi at 11:13 AM Pakistan Standard Time for Kathmandu. Upon contacting Nepalese air traffic control, the aircraft was cleared for an approach from the south called the Sierra approach. An aircraft cleared to use this approach was at the time directed to pass over a reporting point called "Romeo" located 41 nautical miles (76 km) south of the Kathmandu VOR (or at 41 DME) at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The aircraft was to then descend in seven steps to 5,800 feet, passing over a reporting point known as "Sierra" located at 10 DME at an altitude of 9,500 feet, before landing at Kathmandu. This approach allowed aircraft to pass over the Mahabharat Range directly south of Kathmandu (the crest of which is located just north of the Sierra reporting point) at a safe altitude.

Shortly after reporting at 10 DME, at 2.30 pm the aircraft crashed at approximately 7,300 feet (2,200 m) into the side of the 8,250 ft (2,524 m) mountain at Bhattedanda, disintegrating on impact, instantly killing all on board; the tail fin separated and fell into the forest at the base of the mountainside.^[1]^[4]^[5]

This accident occurred 59 days after Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashed north of Kathmandu.^[6]

Victims

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
United Kingdom	36	-	36
Nepal	30	-	30
Spain	30	-	30
Pakistan	11	12	23
Netherlands	14	-	14
Other Europeans	14	-	14
Bangladesh	4	-	4
United States	3	-	3
Canada	2	-	2
Unknown	2	-	2
Japan	1	-	1
New Zealand	1	-	1
Total	155	12	167^[5]

Investigation and causes

After the accident, the Nepali Military assisted with investigators to find the aircraft's black box. The investigation was handled by Andrew Robinson from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB). The black box was initially sent to Paris for decoding.^[7]

At the time of impact, eye witnesses near the accident site confirmed that there was little to no wind, rain, and no thunderstorms in the area. Investigators found no technical problems documented for the A300 and, after considering it as a cause, subsequently ruled out terrorism.^[7]

Although no pertinent flight deck conversation was recovered from Flight 268's cockpit voice recorder by investigators with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), which assisted with the investigation, data recovered from the flight data recorder by the TSB showed that the aircraft initiated each step of its descent one step too early.^[4] At 16 DME the aircraft was a full 1,000 feet below its cleared altitude; at 10 DME (the Sierra reporting point) it was 1,300 feet below its cleared altitude. The aircraft approached the Mahabharat Range at an insufficient altitude and crashed into the south slope.^[1] Although the pilots of Flight 268 reported their aircraft's altitude accurately to air traffic control, controllers did nothing to warn them of their inappropriate altitude until seconds before the accident.^[4]

Investigators determined that the accident had been caused mainly by pilot error. Visibility was poor due to overcast conditions and the ground proximity warning system would not have been triggered in time because of the steep terrain.^[4] The approach plates for Kathmandu issued to PIA pilots were also determined to be unclear,^[1]^[4] and Nepalese air traffic controllers were judged timid and reluctant to intervene in what they saw as piloting matters such as terrain separation.^[8] The report recommended that ICAO review navigational charts and encourage their standardisation, and that the approach to Kathmandu Airport be changed to be less complex.^[4]

Memorials

PIA paid for the Lele PIA Memorial Park at Lele, at the foot of a mountain about 10 km north of the accident site. In 2012 they ceased paying for the maintenance of the site and was left to relatives of the victims of the accident to fund. In 2023 the local district council took responsibility for the preservation and development of the site.^[9]^[10]

The Wilkins Memorial Trust, a UK charitable organisation that provides aid to Nepal, was established in memory of a family killed in the accident.^[11]

In popular culture

The accident is featured in the first episode of Season 20 of Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation. The episode is titled "Kathmandu Descent".^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
^ Ranter, Harro. "Nepal air safety profile". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
^ https://historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13303
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Gero, David (2000). Aviation Disasters: The World's Major Civil Airliner Crashes since 1950 (3rd ed.). Sparkford, nr. Yeovil, Somerset: Patrick Stephens (Haynes). p. 232. ISBN 9781852606022.
^ ^a ^b McGirk, Tim; Wolmar, Christian (1 October 1992). "Hunt goes on for black box in Airbus wreckage". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Description". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Pakistan International Airlines, Flight PK 268, an unknown mystery". Aviation Nepal. 28 July 2020.
^ "Airbus crash blamed on pilot error". The Independent. 30 September 1992. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
^ Khaliq, Fazal (17 October 2015). "PIA memorial park in Nepal honours 1992 air crash victims". Dawn.
^ "Air crash relatives arrive in Nepal". The Independent. 2 October 1992. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
^ "WMT" (PDF). WMT News (pdf). Autumn 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 at IMDb

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
 {{More citations needed|date=July 2009}}
 {{Infobox aircraft occurrence
-| name = Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268
+| name            = Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268
-| image = Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 Crashsite.jpg
+| image           = Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 Crashsite.jpg
-| image_upright =
+| image_upright   = 1.15
-| alt =
+| alt             =
-| caption = Wreckage of AP-BCP's tail section
+| caption         = Wreckage of AP-BCP
 | occurrence_type = Accident
-| date = {{start date|1992|09|28|df=y}}
+| date            = {{start date|1992|09|28|df=y}}
-| summary =  [[Controlled flight into terrain]] due to [[Pilot error]]
+| summary         = [[Controlled flight into terrain]]
-| site = [[Kathmandu]], Nepal
+| site            = [[Bhattedanda]], Nepal
-| coordinates = {{coord|27|31|58|N|85|17|05|E|region:NP_type:event|display=inline,title}}
+| coordinates     = {{coord|27|31|58|N|85|17|05|E|region:NP_type:event|display=inline,title}}
 | total_fatalities = <!-- Only for occurrences involving more than one aircraft or victims on the ground -->
+| plane1_image    = A300B-Pia-AP-BCP-438.jpg
-| total_injuries =
+| plane1_caption  = AP-BCP, the aircraft involved about seven months before the accident.
-| total_missing =
+| aircraft_type   = [[Airbus A300|Airbus A300B4-103]]
-| total_survivors =
+| operator        = [[Pakistan International Airlines]]
-| ground_fatalities =
+| IATA            = PK268
-| ground_injuries =
+| ICAO            = PIA268
-| aircraft_type = [[Airbus A300|Airbus A300B4-203]]
+| callsign        = PAKISTAN 268
-| aircraft_name =
+| tail_number     = AP-BCP
-| operator = [[Pakistan International Airlines]]
+| origin          = [[Jinnah International Airport]]
-| IATA = PK268
+| destination     = [[Tribhuvan International Airport]]
-| ICAO = PIA268
+| occupants       = 167
-| callsign = PAKISTAN 268
+| passengers      = 155
-| tail_number = AP-BCP
+| crew            = 12
-| origin = [[Jinnah International Airport]]
-| stopover =
+| fatalities      = 167
-| stopover0 =
+| survivors       = 0
-| last_stopover =
-| destination = [[Tribhuvan International Airport]]
-| occupants = 167
-| passengers = 155
-| crew = 12
-| fatalities = 167
-| injuries =
-| missing =
-| survivors = 0
 }}
-'''Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268''' was an [[Airbus A300]], [[Aircraft registration|registration]] {{Airreg|AP|BCP|,}} which [[Aviation accidents and incidents|crash]]ed while approaching [[Kathmandu]]'s [[Tribhuvan International Airport]] on 28 September 1992. All 167 people on board were killed. It is the deadliest aviation crash that has occurred on Nepalese soil.<ref name="ASN" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Nepal air safety profile|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=9N|last=Ranter|first=Harro|website=aviation-safety.net|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=2019-02-11}}</ref>
+'''Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268''' was an [[Airbus A300]], [[Aircraft registration|registration]] {{Airreg|AP|BCP|,}} which [[Aviation accidents and incidents|crash]]ed while approaching [[Kathmandu]]'s [[Tribhuvan International Airport]] on 28 September 1992. All 167 people on board were killed. Flight 268 is the worst accident in the history of [[Pakistan International Airlines]], and the worst ever to occur in [[Nepal]].<ref name="ASN" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=Nepal air safety profile |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=9N |access-date=2019-02-11 |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation}}</ref>
-== Aircraft and crew ==
+== Background ==
+=== Aircraft ===
-[[File:Condor Airbus A300B4-203 D-AHLZ (30286489582).jpg|thumb|The aircraft involved in the accident seen at [[Frankfurt Airport]] in July 1986, while still operating with [[Condor Flugdienst]]]]
-The aircraft involved was a 16-year-old Airbus A300B4-203 registered as AP-BCP (serial number 025) The aircraft was built in 1976 and flew its maiden flight on 23 March the same year. On 2 May 1977, the aircraft was delivered to [[Bavaria Germanair]], and was registered as D-AMAZ. About a week later, it was leased to [[EgyptAir]]. The aircraft was re-registered as SU-AZY and subsequently sold to [[Hapag-Lloyd Flug]] after its merger with Bavaria Germanair. The aircraft was then re-registered as D-AHLZ and leased to the following airlines:
+The aircraft involved was a 16-year-old Airbus A300B4-103 [[Aircraft registration|registered]] as AP-BCP with [[serial number]] 025. The aircraft was built in 1976. The aircraft had a total of 39,045 flying hours and 19,172 flight cycles at the time of the accident.<ref name="ASN" />
-* [[EgyptAir]] (January 1979 - October 1982)
-* [[Kuwait Airways]] (April - July 1983)
-* [[Capitol Air]] (June - October 1984)
-* [[Air Jamaica]] (February - April 1985)
-* [[Condor Flugdienst]] (May - November 1985)
+=== Crew ===
-On 21 April 1986, the aircraft was delivered to Pakistan International Airlines, and was re-registered as AP-BCP. The aircraft had a total of 39,045 flying hours and 19,172 landings at the time of the crash.<ref name="ASN" />
+The [[Pilot in command|captain]] was 49-year-old Iftikhar Janjua, who had logged 13,192 flight hours, including 6,260 hours on the Airbus A300. The [[first officer (aviation)|first officer]] was 38-year-old Hassan Akhtar, who had 5,849 flight hours, with 1,469 of them on the Airbus A300.
-The captain was 49-year-old Iftikhar Janjua, who had 13,192 flight hours, including 6,260 hours on the Airbus A300. The first officer was 38-year-old Hassan Akhtar, who had 5,849 flight hours, with 1,469 of them on the Airbus A300.
+Two flight engineers were on board: one operating and the other observing. The operating flight engineer was a 40-year-old male named Pervaiz Malik <ref>https://historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13303</ref> who had 5,289 flight hours, with 2,516 of them on the Airbus A300. The observing flight engineer, 42-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, had 8,220 flight hours, including 4,503 hours on the Airbus A300.{{Cn|date=July 2024}}
-There were two flight engineers on board: one operating and the other observing. The operating flight engineer was an unnamed 40-year-old male who had 5,289 flight hours, with 2,516 of them on the Airbus A300. The observing flight engineer, 42-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, had 8,220 flight hours, including 4,503 hours on the Airbus A300.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://smhusain1.com/2018/05/24/pakistan-international-airlines-pk-268/|title=Human Factors: Pakistan International Airlines Flight Pk 268|date=2018-05-24|website=smhusain1's Blog|language=en|access-date=2019-10-17}}</ref>
 ==Accident==
-Flight 268 departed [[Karachi]] at 11:13 AM [[Pakistan Standard Time]] for [[Kathmandu]].  Upon contacting Nepalese [[air traffic control]], the aircraft was cleared for an approach from the south called the ''Sierra approach''. An aircraft cleared to use this approach was at the time directed to pass over a reporting point called "Romeo" located 41 miles south of the Kathmandu [[VHF omnidirectional range|VOR]] (or at ''41 [[Distance measuring equipment|DME]]'') at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The aircraft was to then descend in seven steps to 5,800 feet, passing over a reporting point known as "Sierra" located at 10 DME at an altitude of 9,500 feet, before landing at Kathmandu. This approach allowed aircraft to pass over the [[Mahabharat Range]] directly south of Kathmandu (the crest of which is located just north of the Sierra reporting point) at a safe altitude.
+Flight 268 departed [[Karachi]] at 11:13 AM [[Pakistan Standard Time]] for [[Kathmandu]].  Upon contacting Nepalese [[air traffic control]], the aircraft was cleared for an approach from the south called the ''Sierra approach''. An aircraft cleared to use this approach was at the time directed to pass over a reporting point called "Romeo" located 41 nautical miles (76 km) south of the Kathmandu [[VHF omnidirectional range|VOR]] (or at ''41 [[Distance measuring equipment|DME]]'') at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The aircraft was to then descend in seven steps to 5,800 feet, passing over a reporting point known as "Sierra" located at 10 DME at an altitude of 9,500 feet, before landing at Kathmandu. This approach allowed aircraft to pass over the [[Mahabharat Range]] directly south of Kathmandu (the crest of which is located just north of the Sierra reporting point) at a safe altitude.
-Shortly after reporting at 10 DME, at 2.30&nbsp;pm the aircraft crashed at approximately {{convert|7300|ft|m}} into the side of the 8,250&nbsp;ft (2,524&nbsp;m) mountain at [[Bhattedanda]], disintegrating on impact, instantly killing all aboard; the tail fin separated and fell into the forest at the base of the mountainside.<ref name=ASN>{{ASN accident|id=19920928-0}}</ref><ref name=Gero>{{cite book |first=David |last=Gero |title=Aviation Disasters: The World's Major Civil Airliner Crashes since 1950 |edition=3rd |location=Sparkford, nr. Yeovil, Somerset |publisher=Patrick Stephens (Haynes) |year=2000 |isbn=9781852606022 |page=[https://archive.org/details/aviationdisaster0000gero/page/232 232] |url=https://archive.org/details/aviationdisaster0000gero/page/232 }}</ref><ref name="Tim McGirk">{{cite news | first1=Tim | last1=McGirk | first2=Christian | last2=Wolmar | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/hunt-goes-on-for-black-box-in-airbus-wreckage-1554634.html | title=Hunt goes on for black box in Airbus wreckage | newspaper=[[The Independent]] | location=London | date=1 Oct 1992 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715071217/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/hunt-goes-on-for-black-box-in-airbus-wreckage-1554634.html | url-status=live | archive-date=15 Jul 2015 | access-date=2020-09-17}}</ref>
+Shortly after reporting at 10 DME, at 2.30&nbsp;pm the aircraft crashed at approximately {{convert|7300|ft|m}} into the side of the 8,250&nbsp;ft (2,524&nbsp;m) mountain at [[Bhattedanda]], disintegrating on impact, instantly killing all on board; the tail fin separated and fell into the forest at the base of the mountainside.<ref name=ASN>{{ASN accident|id=19920928-0}}</ref><ref name=Gero>{{cite book |first=David |last=Gero |title=Aviation Disasters: The World's Major Civil Airliner Crashes since 1950 |edition=3rd |location=Sparkford, nr. Yeovil, Somerset |publisher=Patrick Stephens (Haynes) |year=2000 |isbn=9781852606022 |page=[https://archive.org/details/aviationdisaster0000gero/page/232 232] |url=https://archive.org/details/aviationdisaster0000gero/page/232 }}</ref><ref name="Tim McGirk">{{cite news | first1=Tim | last1=McGirk | first2=Christian | last2=Wolmar | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/hunt-goes-on-for-black-box-in-airbus-wreckage-1554634.html | title=Hunt goes on for black box in Airbus wreckage | newspaper=[[The Independent]] | location=London | date=1 Oct 1992 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715071217/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/hunt-goes-on-for-black-box-in-airbus-wreckage-1554634.html | url-status=live | archive-date=15 Jul 2015 | access-date=2020-09-17}}</ref>
-This accident occurred 59 days after [[Thai Airways International Flight 311]] crashed north of Kathmandu.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A310-304 HS-TID Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM)|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19920731-0|last=Ranter|first=Harro|website=aviation-safety.net|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=2019-02-11}}</ref>
+This accident occurred 59 days after [[Thai Airways International Flight 311]] crashed north of Kathmandu.<ref name="ASN 19920731-0">{{cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=Accident Description |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19920731-0 |access-date=15 May 2016 |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]]}}</ref>
 ==Victims==
-Most of the victims were a mix of European, Nepalese and other nationalities.
 {|class="wikitable"
 |-style="background:#ccccff;"
@@ Line 84: / Line 64: @@
 |Netherlands||style="text-align:center;"|14||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|14
 |-valign=top
-|Other European Countries||style="text-align:center;"|14||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|14
+|Other Europeans||style="text-align:center;"|14||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|14
 |-valign=top
 |Bangladesh||style="text-align:center;"|4||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|4
@@ Line 91: / Line 71: @@
 |-valign=top
 |Canada||style="text-align:center;"|2||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|2
+|-valign=top
+|Unknown|| style="text-align:center;" |2||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|2
 |-valign=top
 |Japan||style="text-align:center;"|1||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|1
 |-valign=top
 |New Zealand||style="text-align:center;"|1||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|1
-|-valign=top
-|Unknown||style="text-align:center;"|2||{{n/a|-}}||style="text-align:center;"|2
 |-valign=top
 |'''Total'''||style="text-align:center;"|'''155'''||style="text-align:center;"|'''12'''||style="text-align:center;"|'''167<ref name="Tim McGirk" />'''
 |}
 ==Investigation and causes==
-After the crash, the Nepali Military assisted with investigators to find the aircraft's [[black box]]. The investigation was handled by Andrew Robinson from the [[Air Accident Investigation Branch]] (AAIB). The black box was initially sent to Paris for decoding.<ref>https://www.aviationnepal.com/pakistan-international-airlines-flight-pk-268-an-unknown-mystery/</ref>
+After the accident, the Nepali Military assisted with investigators to find the aircraft's [[Flight recorder|black box]]. The investigation was handled by Andrew Robinson from the [[Air Accident Investigation Branch]] (AAIB). The black box was initially sent to Paris for decoding.<ref name="Aviation Nepal">{{Cite web |date=28 July 2020 |title=Pakistan International Airlines, Flight PK 268, an unknown mystery |url=https://www.aviationnepal.com/pakistan-international-airlines-flight-pk-268-an-unknown-mystery/ |website=Aviation Nepal}}</ref>
-At the time of impact, eye witnesses near the accident site confirmed that there was little to no wind, rain, and no thunderstorms in the area. Investigators found no technical problems documented for the A300 and, after considering it as a cause, subsequently ruled out terrorism.<ref>https://www.aviationnepal.com/pakistan-international-airlines-flight-pk-268-an-unknown-mystery/</ref>
+At the time of impact, eye witnesses near the accident site confirmed that there was little to no wind, rain, and no thunderstorms in the area. Investigators found no technical problems documented for the A300 and, after considering it as a cause, subsequently ruled out terrorism.<ref name="Aviation Nepal" />
 Although no pertinent flight deck conversation was recovered from Flight 268's [[cockpit voice recorder]] by investigators with the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] (TSB), which assisted with the investigation, data recovered from the [[flight data recorder]] by the TSB showed that the aircraft initiated each step of its descent one step too early.<ref name=Gero/> At 16 DME the aircraft was a full 1,000 feet below its cleared altitude; at 10 DME (the Sierra reporting point) it was 1,300 feet below its cleared altitude.  The aircraft approached the Mahabharat Range at an insufficient altitude and crashed into the south slope.<ref name=ASN/> Although the pilots of Flight 268 reported their aircraft's altitude accurately to [[air traffic control]], controllers did nothing to warn them of their inappropriate altitude until seconds before the accident.<ref name=Gero/>
-Investigators determined that the accident had been caused mainly by pilot error. Visibility was poor due to overcast and the [[ground proximity warning system]] would not have been triggered in time because of the steep terrain.<ref name=Gero/> The [[instrument approach|approach plate]]s for Kathmandu issued to PIA pilots were also determined to be unclear,<ref name=ASN/><ref name=Gero/> and Nepalese air traffic controllers were judged timid and reluctant to intervene in what they saw as piloting matters such as terrain separation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/airbus-crash-blamed-on-pilot-error-1554557.html|title=Airbus crash blamed on pilot error|date=1992-09-30|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-GB}}</ref> The report recommended that [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]] review navigational charts and encourage their standardisation, and that the approach to Kathmandu Airport be changed to be less complex.<ref name=Gero/>
+Investigators determined that the accident had been caused mainly by pilot error. Visibility was poor due to overcast conditions and the [[ground proximity warning system]] would not have been triggered in time because of the steep terrain.<ref name=Gero/> The [[approach plate]]s for Kathmandu issued to PIA pilots were also determined to be unclear,<ref name=ASN/><ref name=Gero/> and Nepalese air traffic controllers were judged timid and reluctant to intervene in what they saw as piloting matters such as terrain separation.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-09-30 |title=Airbus crash blamed on pilot error |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/airbus-crash-blamed-on-pilot-error-1554557.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=2018-02-10 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/airbus-crash-blamed-on-pilot-error-1554557.html |archive-date=24 May 2022}}</ref> The report recommended that [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]] review navigational charts and encourage their standardisation, and that the approach to Kathmandu Airport be changed to be less complex.<ref name=Gero/>
 ==Memorials==
-PIA paid for and maintains the Lele PIA Memorial Park at [[Lele, Nepal|Lele]], at the foot of a mountain about 10km north the crash site.<ref name=memorial>{{cite web |first=Fazal |last=Khaliq |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1213722 |title=PIA memorial park in Nepal honours 1992 air crash victims |website=Dawn |date=17 October 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/air-crash-relatives-arrive-in-nepal-1554857.html|title=Air crash relatives arrive in Nepal|date=1992-10-02|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-GB}}</ref>
+PIA paid for the Lele PIA Memorial Park at [[Lele, Nepal|Lele]], at the foot of a mountain about 10&nbsp;km north of the accident site. In 2012 they ceased paying for the maintenance of the site and was left to relatives of the victims of the accident to fund. In 2023 the local district council took responsibility for the preservation and development of the site.<ref name=memorial>{{cite web |first=Fazal |last=Khaliq |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1213722 |title=PIA memorial park in Nepal honours 1992 air crash victims |website=Dawn |date=17 October 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/air-crash-relatives-arrive-in-nepal-1554857.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/air-crash-relatives-arrive-in-nepal-1554857.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Air crash relatives arrive in Nepal|date=1992-10-02|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-GB}}</ref>
-The Wilkins Memorial Trust, a UK charitable organisation that provides aid to Nepal, was established in memory of a family killed in the crash.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WMT-Autumn-07-2.pdf |title=WMT |work=WMT News |date=Autumn 2007 |volume=19 |type=pdf |access-date=10 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510160530/http://www.wmt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WMT-Autumn-07-2.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+The Wilkins Memorial Trust, a UK charitable organisation that provides aid to Nepal, was established in memory of a family killed in the accident.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WMT-Autumn-07-2.pdf |title=WMT |work=WMT News |date=Autumn 2007 |volume=19 |type=pdf |access-date=10 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510160530/http://www.wmt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/WMT-Autumn-07-2.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 == In popular culture ==
-The accident is featured in the first episode of Season 20 of ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]],'' also known as ''Air Crash Investigation.'' The episode is titled "Kathmandu Descent".<ref>{{IMDB title|9904846}}</ref>
+The accident is featured in the first episode of Season 20 of ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]],'' also known as ''Air Crash Investigation.'' The episode is titled "Kathmandu Descent".<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q123570387|id=tt9904846}}</ref>
 ==See also==
+* [[List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft]]
-{{Portal|Nepal|Pakistan|Aviation}}
+* [[Thai Airways International Flight 311]]
-* [[List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft]]<!-- This should be separate and first since it is general. -->
-* [[2012 Mexico Learjet 25 crash]]
+* [[Garuda Indonesia Flight 152]]
+* [[List of airplane accidents in Nepal]]
-* [[American Airlines Flight 965]], aircraft which also crashed into hillside while on approach
+* [[Off-by-one error]]
-* [[Garuda Indonesia Flight 152]], crash of an [[Airbus A300]] that crashed into a valley on approach and the GPWS didn't sound
-* [[Prinair Flight 277]], crashed into mountains while on approach
-* [[Thai Airways International Flight 311]], crash while on approach into the same airport in the same year.
-* [[UPS Airlines Flight 1354]], cargo aircraft that also crashed while on approach.
-*[[Air China Flight 129]], a [[CFIT]] accident that occurred when a [[Boeing 767]] slammed into Mount Dotdae on final approach to [[Gimhae International Airport]].
 == References ==
@@ Line 135: / Line 112: @@
 * {{cite book |first=Macarthur |last=Job |author-link=Macarthur Job |title=Air Disaster |volume=3 |publisher=Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd. (Australia) |year=1998 |isbn=1-875671-34-X |pages=98–115 }}
 {{refend}}
-{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Nepal}}
-{{Pakistan International Airlines}}
 {{Aviation incidents and accidents in 1992}}
+{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Nepal}}
+{{Pakistan International Airlines}}
+{{Portal bar|Nepal|Pakistan|Aviation|Modern history}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pia Flight 268}}
@@ Line 150: / Line 128: @@
 [[Category:History of Nepal (1951–2008)]]
 [[Category:September 1992 events in Asia]]
+[[Category:1992 disasters in Nepal]]

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Nepal
1970s	Nepal plane hijack (June 1973)
1990s	Thai Airways International Flight 311 (July 1992) Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 (September 1992) Everest Air Dornier 228 crash (July 1993) Hinduja Cargo Services Flight 8533 (July 1999) Necon Air Flight 128 (September 1999) Indian Airlines flight 814 hijacking (December 1999)
2000s	Royal Nepal Airlines crash (July 2000) Shangri-La Air Twin Otter Crash (August 2002) Yeti Airlines crash (June 2006) Shree Air Mil Mi-8 crash (September 2006) Yeti Airlines Flight 101 (October 2008)
2010s	Agni Air Flight 101 (August 2010) Tara Air Twin Otter crash (December 2010) Buddha Air Flight 103 (September 2011) Agni Air Dornier 228 crash (May 2012) Sita Air Flight 601 (September 2012) Nepal Airlines Flight 555 (May 2013) Nepal Airlines Flight 183 (February 2014) Charikot helicopter crash (May 2015) Tara Air Flight 193 (February 2016) Air Kasthamandap PAC 750XL crash (February 2016) Summit Air Flight 409 (May 2017) US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 (March 2018) Taplejung helicopter crash (February 2019)
2020s	Tara Air Flight 197 (May 2022) Yeti Airlines Flight 691 (January 2023) Manang Air helicopter crash (July 2023) Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 crash (July 2024)

v t e Pakistan International Airlines
Services	History Orient Airways East Pakistan Helicopter Service Fleet Destinations PIA Cargo Precision Engineering Complex Ispahani Hangar
Assets and facilities	Karachi planetarium Lahore planetarium Peshawar planetarium PIA Township Roosevelt Hotel
Hubs	Allama Iqbal International Airport Islamabad International Airport Jinnah International Airport
Chairperson	Mirza Ahmad Ispahani (1955–1962) Rafique Saigol (1972–1973) Nur Khan (1973–1978) Azim Daudpota (1986–1991) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (1997–1999) Ahmad Saeed (2003–2005) Ahmad Mukhtar (2008) Rao Qamar Suleman (2012) Azam Saigol (2016)
Managing directors	Nur Khan (1959–1965) Asghar Khan (1965–1968) Shakirullah Durrani (1968–1971) Zafar Chaudhry (1971–1972) Farooq Feroze Khan (1990–1991) Farooq Umar (1993–1996) Aijaz Haroon (2008–2011)
Accidents/incidents	Flight 17 Flight 268 Flight 326 Flight 404 Flight 544 Flight 661 Flight 688 Flight 705 Flight 740 Flight 8303
See also	Pakistan International Airlines cricket team PIA F.C. Evacuation operations