ISLAMABAD: PIA flight PK-301, that took-off from here today to go to Karachi, was grounded as its wing got damaged after hitting a bird.
It is pertinent to mention here that yesterday (Wednesday 11th of December, 2019) too PK-304 that originated from Karachi too hit a bird after takeoff. It was going towards Lahore.
Relevant pieces published earlier:
KARACHI: Javed Mushtaq, editor of Wings – region’s oldest and most revered aviation monthly – while talking exclusively to NewsPakistan.TV has stated that Franco-Italian Avions de transport régional/Aerei da Trasporto Regionale (ATR) 42-500 was absolutely appropriate for short hauls like Chitral-Islamabad. He said that ATR had a very good track record for such short hauls.
He told that the figure 42 associated with Franco-Italian regional airliner twin-engine ATR indicated the aircraft’s seating capacity. Hence the place was fully occupied with 31 male, 9 female and 2 children passengers.
It is pertinent to mention here that there were three pilots on board and the last message control tower had received was about losing the control over engine.
Moreover, at a Presser held in Islamabad on Wednesday night Chairman PIA Muhammad Azam Saigol has insisted that the aircraft was fit to fly. He said that the reasons of the crash would be determined after a thorough investigation.
Meanwhile the Civil Aviation Authority officials have inspected the site of crash late Wednesday evening.
ISLAMABAD: Evangelical cleric and Naat Khuwan Junaid Jamshed, who was on the ill-fated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 is feared dead in the crash.
The flight was on the way to Islamabad from Chitral when the pilot lost control of the flight. The ATR reportedly crashed at the Patola village near Pakistan Ordinance Factory, Havelian.
The flight departed from Chitral around 3:30pm and was expected to land at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport at around 4:40pm.
“PIA’s ATR-42 aircraft operating as PK-661, carrying around 40 persons lost its contact with the control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad a short while ago,” PIA Spokesman Daniyal Gilani tweeted. “All resources are being mobilized to locate the aircraft.”
Jamshed’s brother, Humayun Jamshed confirmed that his brother was travelling in the same flight that crashed today along with his family.
News Pakistan
