Airbus opens probe into Pakistan plane crash

Pakistan announced on Tuesday 26 May 26, 2020 that Airbus experts have opened a probe into last week’s plane crash that claimed 97 lives, with only two survivors among whom was Zafar Masood, a bank executive.

In the port city of Karachi Airbus A320 went down in a crowded neighborhood near the Karachi airport.

The crash occurred days after domestic flights were allowed to operate few days before Eid al-Fitr celebration, a holiday that marks the end of the Muslims holy month of Ramadan.

Of the 97 victims 41 bodies have been delivered to their families by the government.

DNA test is still ongoing to properly identify to identify the remains of other victims.

According to early report on the incident it was said that the Pakistan International Airlines jet crashed due to an engine failure while Pakistani aviation authorities said on Tuesday that initial findings have been shared with the European plane maker’s 11-member team who were visiting the site.

Abdul Hafeez, PIA’s spokesman said, “We are providing all possible assistance to the technical experts of Airbus.”

Abdul Sattar Kokhar, Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said that Flight PK-8303 which took off from the eastern city of Lahore crashed while trying to land at the Karachi airport.

None of the residents at the crash sites was killed in the crash except for eight people that were injured and 18 homes that damaged. It was said at the time of the incident most of the residents were at various mosques.

To aid their investigation, the authorities have found the black box of the plane which they said would provide necessary information needed to facilitate the probe.

It was also said that the plane received government check last November and that a certificate confirming that appropriate maintenance had been carried out on the plane was signed on April 28 by the PIA’s chief engineer.

Airbus further confirmed that as of Friday the two-engine plane had logged 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flights.
Since mid-Match Pakistan has been in a nationwide lockdown due to the pandemic. As airlines resumed operations several seats were left vacant on the plane to allow for social distancing rules.

As of Tuesday Pakistan has recorded about 57,705 cases, 1,197 deaths and 18,314 recoveries.