‘Human error’ led to PIA plane crash, Sarwar tells NA

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: The pilots of the ill-fated PIA flight 8303, as well as the air traffic controller had failed to follow established landing procedures resulting in the deaths of 97 people last month, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Wednesday, as he presented a report in the National Assembly, which attributed the deadly crash to “human error”.

The PIA plane crashed into a crowded residential area on May 22 after both engines failed as it approached Karachi airport, killing all but two people on board. A girl on the ground, who was critically injured in the aftermath of the crash, succumbed to her injuries later, raising the death toll to 98.

“The pilot was over confident and attempted to land the plane before a certain height despite, the air traffic controller’s warning, telling him that ‘I will manage it’,” the minister said. “The air traffic controller [also] did not inform the pilot about the damage occurred to the engines when the plane touched the runway thrice, and took off again. The air traffic controller should have asked for an emergency landing.”

According to the cockpit voice recorder, he said, the pilots were not focused and had been discussing the coronavirus throughout the flight, even during the landing attempt. “The pilots were both discussing Covid-19 as it had affected their families and were not focused on the aircraft,” he added.

The minister said: “The pilot and co-pilot were highly experienced and fully medically fit, but not focused.” Sarwar added that the plane was “100 per cent fit” and had made six flights during May 7-22 -- after the government resumed flight operations that were suspended to contain the virus spread.

The minister said the interim report had been compiled based on evidence collected from the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, plane debris and the incident site by the inquiry team. Sarwar said, as per the data, before the landing of the aircraft, the landing gear was put down, but for reasons unknown the gear was taken back.

The minister noted that the aircraft touched the runway thrice without the landing gear which caused damage to its engines. “When the plane took off again, both its engines had been damaged,” he said. He added that without receiving instructions, the pilot again took off.

The minister said that the pilots had also ignored the instructions of the air traffic controller regarding the altitude of the aircraft. “The pilots and the air traffic controller both did not follow protocol,” he added. “The pilots ignored the instructions of the air traffic controllers and the air traffic controller, on the other hand, did not inform the pilot about the engine colliding [with the runway].”

He said that the aircraft was on “auto-landing but the pilot disengaged auto landing and brought it to manual landing”. “Those who have passed away, May God forgive them. Those who are responsible will be held accountable,” he added.

The minister said the complete report of the aircraft crash will be presented in the House during the current year. Sarwar said the Bhoja air crash of 2012 and the Air Blue tragedy of 2010 had also been caused as a result of the pilots’ errors.

He said in the past, the PIA was “politicised” and 846 pilots and technical staff of the airline were hired on fake degrees and licences as was revealed after a Supreme Court suo motu notice into the issue. The minister said out of 860 active pilots working in various airlines of the country, 262 had not appeared in the examination. “About 30 per cent of pilots working in Pakistan were flying aircraft with fake licenses.

“These pilots had not given the exams themselves nor did they have the proper flying experience. Pilots are also appointed on political basis, unfortunately. Whilst appointing pilots, merit is ignored.” Sarwar also pledged that the government will take action against PIA pilots who were found guilty of the above offences.

He also urged political parties not to politicise the issue “as it is linked with national security”. He also categorically stated that PIA would not be privatised but its restructuring would be done to regain its past glory.