The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Bloomberg
Pakistan said the Airbus SE A320 crash in a Karachi neighbourhood last month happened because of errors made by the pilot and air traffic controllers (ATC).
Both engines of the state-run Pakistan International Airlines Corp plane were damaged during the first failed attempt at landing at the airport, aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told lawmakers in parliament. The aircraft was fit and the landing gear was working, Khan said, disclosing findings of the initial investigation report.
The outcome largely clears Airbus and engine maker CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and France’s Safran, of any significant contribution to the tragedy that killed all but two of 99 passengers on board. The pilot error absolves PIA of maintenance or mechanical mistakes.
The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 7,220 feet instead of the usual 2,500 feet when it first attempted to land, said Khan. The air-traffic controller warned the pilot about the altitude, but the pilot ignored the warning and decided to switch into manual from auto-pilot landing. The pilot did deploy the landing gear 10 nautical miles from the runway but then decided to retract it just halfway through before touching the ground, Khan said.