PIA ATR Runway Excursion Incident at Gilgit Airport

[Abbas Ali]

Preliminary investigation report blames aircraft captain for the accident - Express News.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

According to Express News channel, Capt. Maryam told investigators that she was unable to control the aircraft due to its high speed.

The aircraft touched down late, according to the news channel.

Abbas

[raihans]

According to Express News channel, Capt. Maryam told investigators that she was unable to control the aircraft due to its high speed.

The aircraft touched down late, according to the news channel.

Abbas

then why GO AROUND not executed?

[Charliedelta11]

One of the things that we do very frequently in Medicine is quality and safety with a focus on process improvement. The premise is simple, human errors will take place, so what sort of checks and balances can be put in place to minimize, if not eliminate them.

If this truly is pilot error, simply getting rid of one or both pilots wont prevent such incidents from taking place in the future. The questions will be, was there a total lack of situational awareness in the cockpit? Or did they realize things had gone south just 100 ft short of the end of the runway? Because this leads to a much larger question on the quality of training and the standards that are in place.

[Abbas Ali]

ATR team arrives to examine aircraft damaged while landing

Mohammad Asghar

Updated August 14, 2019

RAWALPINDI: A team of experts of the Aerei da Trasporto Regionale (ATR), the Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer, has arrived in Pakistan to examine the ATR aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) which was badly damaged after skidding off the runway while landing at Gilgit Airport on July 20.

The PIA’s flight PK-605 from Islamabad to Gilgit with 53 people, including crew members, on board had skidded off the runway and come to a halt in a grassy area next to the tarmac.

All passengers and crew members remained safe in the accident, but the pilot and a co-pilot were grounded pending an investigation into the incident launched by the Civil Aviation Authority’s Safety Investigation Board (SIB).

When contacted, PIA’s spokesman Mashhood Tajwar told Dawn that a team of ATR experts arrived in Islamabad last week to examine the plane in Gilgit.

“The experts will examine the plane and submit their report after their return to France about whether the aircraft is repairable or not,” Mr Tajwar said, adding that action would be taken in the light of the experts’ report.

He said the two pilots grounded after the Gilgit accident would be allowed to fly aircraft only after the safety investigation board allowed them to do so.

An aviation expert not wishing to be named said that the ATR aircraft damaged in Gilgit last month was beyond repair because its right side had been badly damaged.

The PIA spokesman said the organisation had a fleet of 12 ATR planes, but now only six to seven of them were operational.

When asked how much time would be required to complete the report on the Gilgit incident, the spokesman didn’t give any time limit but said it would take some time because the ATR team would go back to France and then compile a report.

Source: DAWN

[ammad]

ATR team arrives to examine aircraft damaged while landing

Mohammad Asghar

Updated August 14, 2019

The PIA spokesman said the organisation had a fleet of 12 ATR planes, but now only six to seven of them were operational.

Very least he should be telling exact number of Aircraft that are operational.

[Abbas Ali]

Recently six PIA ATRs seen active on flightradar24.com.

ATR 42-500 registration AP-BHH

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bhh

ATR 42-500 registration AP-BHI

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bhi

ATR 42-500 registration AP-BHM

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bhm

ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKV

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkv

ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKX

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkx

ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKY

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bky

Abbas

[Flyer1015]

No views should be silent just because it goes against the majority.


I was born in Lahore and moved to the United States at the age of 8 and am now an airline pilot for a major airline here. For aviation it is a night and day difference. In this country, we don't operate on "sub khooch theek hein" or "inshallah, Allah khair sallah." The last major US airline accident was in 2009 when a Q400 stalled and crashed outside Buffalo. The NTSB investigated and issued a very thorough report. In response to that accident, everything here was overhauled. We had new FAR 117 Rest Rules. Pilot hiring requirements changed from 250 hrs to 1,500 hrs (ATP rule). Stall profiles and training was changed. Those are just some examples. Since then, we've had a very safe aviation record with all things considered.

What saddens me is the track record of the last 10 yrs in Pakistan's aviation industry and the lack of any action to mitigate and stop the trend. In 2010 it was an airBlue A321 CFIT accident (38 page report released by the SIB). In 2012 a Bhoja Air B737 crash in Islamabad (SIB released a report). And in late 2016, the ATR crash that killed everyone aboard including Junaid J. In four months we'll come up on the 3rd anniversary of that crash and still there hasn't been any report published on the accident by the SIB. The sheer incompetence of the SIB is staggering. It is ridiculous! But, as the saying goes, "istara he mulk chalta hay." So in 7 years there were 3 major airline crashes, all completely fatal, and nothing changed in Pakistan's aviation industry. There is no holding something to account. Where's the ATR crash final accident report? What did the aviation industry learn there? What changes did they institute by law as a result of the 2016 crash?

Now this ATR incident happened and it's one more thing the SIB has to investigate and address. But the sheer incompetency of the SIB means nothing much will change. I can't comment on this incident Captain's training record or previous incidents since I'm not acquainted with any details, nor do I know anything in terms of her employment, nepotism, string-pulling. If those are true, nothing surprises me. The country runs on nepotism and favoritism. Not merit.

I'm glad everyone was safe and made it out alive from this ATR incident. But nothing has changed since 2010 when airBlue crashed. The SIB is incompetent and the CAA hasn't done anything to promote or advance safety. The Pakistani people deserve better. Unfortunately, PIA epitomizes everything that is wrong with Pakistan today. The system is broken.

[TAILWIND]

Flyer1055, couldn't endorse more forcefully. The competence and standard of investigation of SIB is evident from the quality of their accident reports. Major accidents where hundred of lives were lost covered in 30 or 40 pages that too mostly copy paste from details of ac systems. No analysis, no research as to why something happened, just khana puri.
As you mentioned accidents in last 10 years, in my opinion given the size of airline industry and no of major accidents our record from beginning has been dismal. Pakistani aviation industry as a whole is in tatters.

[ammad]

Recently six PIA ATRs seen active on flightradar24.com.

ATR 42-500 registration AP-BHH

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bhh

ATR 42-500 registration AP-BHI

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bhi

ATR 42-500 registration AP-BHM

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bhm

ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKV

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkv

ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKX

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkx

ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKY

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bky

Abbas

Thanks Abbas for your hard work. PIA website is still saying they have total 9 ATR's. Wonder what other three tail numbers are at ground?

[TAILWIND]

Much is said about PIAs golden era of 60s and 70s while lamenting on the current dire situation the airline is, blaming political interference, quota system, govt policies etc etc. There are even claims that PIA was one of the top airlines of the world.
For an airline, safety is foremost. I went through the PIA's accident database (available in HOP website) and horrified to see that stats. Even if we leave aside period immediately post independence where a number of constellations and Dacotas crashed, below are the figures for modern era.

1. Fokker: 14 Crashes/Hull Losses, Numerous Fatalities
2. B707/720: 3 Crashes/Hull Losses, 2 Fatal
3. DC-10: 1 Hull Loss, Fire in Hangar
4. Airbus A300: 3 Crashes/Hull Losses, 1 Fatal
5. B737: 1 x Hull Loss
6. ATR 42/72: 4 Crashes/Hull Losses, 1 Fatal

Incidentally Airbus A310 is the only major type in PIA history not involved in a major incident.

[pk363]

Much is said about PIAs golden era of 60s and 70s while lamenting on the current dire situation the airline is, blaming political interference, quota system, govt policies etc etc. There are even claims that PIA was one of the top airlines of the world.
For an airline, safety is foremost. I went through the PIA's accident database (available in HOP website) and horrified to see that stats. Even if we leave aside period immediately post independence where a number of constellations and Dacotas crashed, below are the figures for modern era.

1. Fokker: 14 Crashes/Hull Losses, Numerous Fatalities
2. B707/720: 3 Crashes/Hull Losses, 2 Fatal
3. DC-10: 1 Hull Loss, Fire in Hangar
4. Airbus A300: 3 Crashes/Hull Losses, 1 Fatal
5. B737: 1 x Hull Loss
6. ATR 42/72: 4 Crashes/Hull Losses, 1 Fatal

Incidentally Airbus A310 is the only major type in PIA history not involved in a major incident.

Alhamd o Lillah b777 fleet introduced in 2002 is also free of any major incidents till date.

[Abbas Ali]

Super Constellation - the first aircraft type to wear PIA livery - also ended its career with the Pakistani airline without any airframe loss.

Some years ago, Fokker company report said that main factors for PIA F27 accidents included:

* Difficult routes flown by the aircraft.
* Lesser experienced cockpit crew because it was the smallest aircraft in airline's fleet.

Maybe similar factors playing role in the accidents of PIA ATRs.

Abbas

[TAILWIND]

Alhamd o Lillah b777 fleet introduced in 2002 is also free of any major incidents till date.

Thank you for correction

[TAILWIND]

Super Constellation - the first aircraft type to wear PIA livery - also ended its career with the Pakistani airline without any airframe loss.

Some years ago, Fokker company report said that main factors for PIA F27 accidents included:

* Difficult routes flown by the aircraft.
* Lesser experienced cockpit crew because it was the smallest aircraft in airline's fleet.

Maybe similar factors playing role in the accidents of PIA ATRs.

Abbas

You are right Abbas, especially the experience factor. Because many Fokker crashes/accidents took place in relatively normal routes i,e PEW, RAwat, LYP, DG Khan , multan etc.
I also feel experience factor is more pronounced.