Heavy rain in Lahore: Pak plane stayed in Indian airspace for 10 minutes

KARACHI: After failing to land at the Lahore Airport during heavy rain, a PIA plane remained in the Indian airspace for 10 minutes and returned to Pakistan after travelling 125 kilometres over the Indian Punjab.

It was raining heavily when the flight PK-248 of the national airlines arrived in Lahore from Muscat at 8pm on May 4. The pilot attempted to land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport at 8:05pm, but the Boeing 777 aircraft became unstable and could not land. On the instructions of the air traffic controller, the pilot initiated the go-around approach, during which he lost his way due to heavy rain and low altitude. The plane entered the Indian airspace from the Badhana police station limits in Punjab at 8:11pm Pakistan time.

The Boeing 777 aircraft was at an altitude of 13,500 feet at a speed of 292 kilometres an hour. At the point where the plane entered India, located 37 kms from Amritsar, is the area of the Chhina Bidhi Chand village.

The plane turned back from Naushehra Pannuan after travelling 40 kms through the city of Taran Sahib and Rasulpur in the Indian Punjab. While flying in the Indian airspace, the captain took the plane to a height of 20,000 feet.

The plane flew in the Indian airspace for seven minutes and entered the Pakistani territory from near the village of Jhagian Noor Muhammad in the Indian Punjab. The flight then re-entered Indian territory via the villages of Dona Mabboki, Chaant, Dhupsari Kasur and Ghati Kalanjar in Kasur district of the Pakistani Punjab.

Three minutes later, at 8:22pm, the plane re-entered the Pakistani territory from the village of Lakha Singhwala Hithar in the Indian Punjab. At that time, the plane was at an altitude of 23,000 feet at a speed of 320 kms.

After entering the Pakistani airspace, the aircraft flew to Multan, passing by Hujra Shah Muqeem and Dipalpur. The aircraft travelled a total of 120 kms in the Indian territory in 10 minutes.