PIA plane was fit to fly, pilot held responsible for crash

ISLAMABAD: Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Wednesday presented the findings of the preliminary report by the inquiry committee formed to investigate the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash.

Presenting the report in the National Assembly, the aviation minister revealed that that the PIA flight No. PK8303 that crashed in Karachi was completely fit to fly.

According to the preliminary report, the pilot of the plane and air traffic controller are held responsible for the crash.

“The pilot of the PK-8303 and air traffic controller did not follow the procedure and the pilot of the ill-fated PIA plane was over-confident,” he told parliament.

He said that the pilot and the co-pilot were not focused on the aircraft and were discussing the coronavirus pandemic as it had affected their families.

Regarding the Havelian plane crash, the minister said that PIA flight PK-661 from Chitral crashed due to technical fault and the pilot was not responsible.

READ MORE: Pilot, air traffic controller held responsible for PIA crash

The minister said a lack of concentration of pilots resulted in the plane crash. He concluded that the cabin crew and ATC were responsible for the PIA plane crash.

Speaking about previous plane crash incidents, the pilot revealed the Bhoja air crash and Air Blue plane crash in Islamabad occurred to the pilot’s fault.

Ghulam Sarwar promised that the complete investigation report of the PIA flight no PK-8303 crash will be presented in one year’s time.

Earlier this week, Aviation Accident Investigation Board President Usman Ghani presented the preliminary inquiry report to Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar.

The report was presented to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday after the minister has earlier vowed to make the report public by 22nd June.

The plane, with 99 people on board, crashed in the Model Colony near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on 22nd May, killing 97 people while two passengers miraculously survived.