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Coordinates: 24°54′42″N 67°11′16″E / 24.91167°N 67.18778°E / 24.91167; 67.18778
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[Gulf Air Flight 072]]
* [[Gulf Air Flight 072]]
*[[British Midland Flight 092]] - also crashed on landing due to an engine failure


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 16:32, 22 May 2020

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303
AP-BLD, the aircraft involved in the accident, Photo from 2016.
Crash
Date22 May 2020
SummaryCrashed on final approach; under investigation
SiteNear Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan
24°54′42″N 67°11′16″E / 24.91167°N 67.18778°E / 24.91167; 67.18778
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAirbus A320-214[1]
OperatorPakistan International Airlines
IATA flight No.PK8303
ICAO flight No.PIA8303
Call signPakistan 8303
RegistrationAP-BLD
Flight originAllama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, Pakistan
DestinationJinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan
Occupants99 (exact number unknown)
Passengers91[2]
Crew8[3]
Fatalities96 (unconfirmed)
Survivors3[4]

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 was a scheduled domestic flight from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. On 22 May 2020, the Airbus A320 crashed in a densely populated residential area of Karachi named Model Colony.[3] The number of those onboard is initially unclear,[5] but it was believed to be carrying 90[6] or 91 passengers[7]—and 8 crew members.[3]

Aircraft

The aircraft was an Airbus A320-214,[1] which was built in 2004 and operated by China Eastern Airlines as B-6017 between 2004 and 2014. Pakistan International Airlines then leased the aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services on October 31, 2014, with registration "AP-BLD".[8][9]

Crash

The flight, piloted by Captain Sajjad Gul,[10] was near the end of its 90-minute journey,[5] when it crashed at around 2:45 p.m. local time (09:45 UTC)[11][12] over the "heavily congested" neighbourhood of Model Colony[8] around 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) from the airport.[13] The aircraft's wings were reported as being on fire in the moments before the plane crashed into rooftops.[4][10] The crash damaged buildings in the area,[3] some of which caught fire.[14]

It appears that the pilot radioed air traffic control (ATC) to report technical problems—an engine failure[11] or landing gear problems.[5] Shortly before contact was lost, ATC told the pilot that he had two available runways at his disposal.[11][14] According to PIA's Chief Executive Officer, Arshad Malik, the pilot told the control room that there was a technical issue and he decided to go around rather than land even though two runways were ready for landing.[4] The pilot reportedly told the controller, "we are returning back, sir, we have lost engines". Twelve seconds later he issued a mayday alert.[15]

The narrow streets and alleys comprising the area inhibited the rescue services.[5] ISPR, the Pakistani military media, reported that special forces of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers had set up a cordon.[10][5] Video footage of the scene of the crash from GEO TV showed emergency teams trying to reach the scene amid rubble, clouds of black smoke and flames in the background.[14]

Victims

Passengers by nationality
Nationality Passenger Crew Total
Pakistani 90[16] 8[16] 98[16]
American 1[16] 0[16] 1[16]
Total 91 8 99

Pakistan International Airlines released details of the flight manifest which shows 91 passengers, 51 men, 31 women and 9 children, from two nations.[16]

A number of casualties were reported as being residents of Model Colony, Karachi.[17]

The city's mayor, Wasim Akhtar, said that there had been no onboard survivors,[17][8] but one passenger was reported as having been contactable by his family after the crash, according to Al Jazeera,[12] while Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator for the health department in Sindh, said that at least three passengers had survived the crash.[4]

Aftermath

The Minister of Health declared a state of emergency for Karachi's hospitals, while Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered all available resources to the crash site, as did the chief of the Air Force.[4] Khan also announced an inquiry,[18] while the PIA was reported at having shut down its website.[17]

Although there were no early reports of casualties, the President, Arif Alvi, tweeted condolences "to the families of the deceased".[14]

Pakistan had allowed international flights to resume, following suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic, only a few days earlier[7] on 16 May.[5][note 1] Due to last days of Ramadan, many people were expected to travel in order to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with their families.[11] The coronavirus pandemic had already stretched the Pakistani health market.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ All flights had been suspended on 29 March;[5] International flights were not to resume until 1 June 2020.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Zulfikar, Fahad (22 May 2020). "PIA plane, carrying 99 passengers and 8 crew members, crashes in Karachi's Jinnah Garden area". Business Recorder. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. ^ "PK8303 Crisis Statement Page". Airbus.com. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Pakistani passenger jet crashes near Karachi airport". Deutsche Welle. 22 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Hassan, Tahir Naseer (22 May 2020). "PIA A320 crashes in Model Colony near Karachi airport; rescue operation underway". DAWN.COM.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Airbus jet crashes near Pakistan airport". The Independent. 22 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Pakistan plane crash: Pakistan International Airlines' Lahore-Karachi flight crashes near Karachi Airport". timesnownews.com.
  7. ^ a b Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane crashes in Karachi BBC News Retrieved 22 May 2020
  8. ^ a b c "Pakistan plane crashes near Karachi, all 107 killed". Economic Times. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  9. ^ "AP-BLD PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-214". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "Pakistan plane crash: Pakistan plane with 107 on board crashes in residential area in Karachi; several feared dead | World News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (22 May 2020). "Pakistani passenger plane crashes near Karachi" – via The Guardian.
  12. ^ a b "Pakistan passenger plane crashes in southern city of Karachi". Aljazeera.
  13. ^ "Plane crashes into residential area in Pakistan". The West Australian. 22 May 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d "Scores feared dead as passenger jet crashes in Pakistan". CBS News.
  15. ^ "Pakistan plane crash: At least two survivors after aircraft carrying 98 people crashes in Karachi". Sky News. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g "Flight Manifest". Geo TV. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  17. ^ a b c d "At least 100 killed and buildings destroyed as Airbus jet comes down near Karachi airport". The Independent. 22 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Pakistan plane crash: Lahore-Karachi plane with 99 onboard crashes in residential area near Karachi airport". India Today. 22 May 2020.
  19. ^ Saifi, Sophia. "Pakistan passenger flight crashes in Karachi". CNN.
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