PIA Lahore to Karachi Airbus A320 Flight Crashes

[Abbas Ali]

Security camera captures final moments of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Lahore to Karachi Airbus A320 (aircraft registration AP-BLD) flight PK8303. It appears to have extended main and nose landing gear. The A320 crashed near Karachi Airport.

The aircraft struck ground at 2:25 PM (local time), according to this video.









Abbas

[Zulfiqar]

Perhaps I am wrong but the aircraft seems to be in a stall from this angle whereas


from a previous video also aired on tv it was going nose down ( maybe to do with camera angle?)

[nopy99]

Official PIA homepage has been amended to greyscale and with a message about the fateful flight and details of emergency contact numbers.

pia homepage by the_photo_gallery, on Flickr

[Abbas Ali]

CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik at press conference said that the accident will be investigated by an independent team. Due to landing gear problem the aircraft was performing go-around and making another attempt to land when it crashed, he said.

The A320 had undergone A Check in March.

PIA's Airport Hotel in Karachi has been made available for accommodating relatives of crash victims.

Airport Hotel rooms also made available to residents of houses damaged by aircraft crash.

Abbas

[iTechno8]

[oozeman64]

If we look at 2 minute and 39 seconds into iTechno8's video, the part when the pilot readbacks the landing clearence, a master warning alarm is heard from the cockpit.

[Vishal Jolapara]

Hello Gentlemen,

Pained to hear the terrible news of the crash. All of my aviation friends here in India are talking about it and saddened by the event.
May the souls of the departed RIP & god give strength to the families of the departed.

Nothing to share at this present moment which hasn't been shared already.

This video provides a perspective on the crashsite:

[Abbas Ali]

Four-member Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) formed to investigate May 22, 2020, PIA Airbus A320 (aircraft registration AP-BLD) Lahore to Karachi flight PK8303 crash.

President
President AAIB Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani

Member
Additional Director Technical Invistigation AAIB Wing Commander Malik Muhammad Imran

Member
Investigator Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Safety Board - Kamra Group Captain Touqeer

Member
Joint Director Air Traffic Control (ATC) Operations AAIB Nasir Majeed

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

So far, only two crash survivors confirmed by Health Department of Sindh

President & CEO The Bank of Punjab Zafar Masud. Residents of the area removed him from crash site.



A320 nose section seen in area from where President & CEO The Bank of Punjab was rescued.



Passenger named Muhammd Zubair also survived.



Sixty-six bodies recovered from crash site. Five bodies identified.

Abbas

[A310]

So apparently the gears were down moments before the impact. I know no one is an expert but I had a question in mind. The viral ATC recording indicates that it was the final communication. If the gears were extended then for what reason could they have initiated a go-around? And did anyone get their hands on the first approach atc?

[Flyer1015]

Four-member Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) formed to investigate May 22, 2020, PIA Airbus A320 (aircraft registration AP-BLD) Lahore to Karachi flight PK8303 crash.

President
President AAIB Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani

Member
Additional Director Technical Invistigation AAIB Wing Commander Malik Muhammad Imran

Member
Investigator Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Safety Board - Kamra Group Captain Touqeer

Member
Joint Director Air Traffic Control (ATC) Operations AAIB Nasir Majeed

Abbas

Yeah right. And where is the official report from the Dec 2016 PIA ATR crash? Oh that's right, there is none. 4 yrs later.

[Squawk_1200]

A very sad evening in Pakistan. My condolence to the families of passengers and the crew who have lost their life in this air accident.

The two survivors of this crash are the most reliable source to tell that what went on the last moments of the crash , but in my opinion
aeroplane developed fault long before it reached the destination, I may not sound right about this but crew did not reported this
earlier, from the CCTV footage the aeroplane is rapidly sinking not descending , in the ATC audio pilots did report trouble climbing and
maintaining altitude.

Whatever would be the reason ,for PIA and CAA not a single air accident free year In Pakistan.

Just one minute from landing aircraft crashed , “ How close is life to death “ Imam Ali A.S.

[Abbas Ali]

Crash survivor Muhammad Zubair says that cabin announcement was made for landing at Karachi, the aircraft touched runway before climbing again. The aircraft crashed into Model Colony during second attempt for landing.

The A320's both engine cowlings' lower side appear scraped and burnt/blackened in photos taken when it was performing go-around procedure. It apparently indicates the aircraft during first landing attempt touched runway surface with retracted landing gear.

According to a Geo News correspondent, before performing go-around the aircraft had made low-altitude pass over Karachi Airport to get landing gear viewed from the ground.



Probably engines were damaged after getting scraped on runway surface. An eyewitness reported smoke/flames emitted by engine(s) followed by engine explosion before the aircraft crashed.



The aircraft in its second attempt before getting crashed appears to have extended landing gear.



Abbas

[oozeman64]

Reports from a passenger who survived suggest that the plane did in fact touch down in the first landing attempt, before initiating go around.

Could it be possible that the aircraft touched down with the landing gear still up? I'm not suggesting that this happened, just want to know if its a possibility. If so, it could be an explanation for the charred bottoms of both engines

[umar744]

IF one or two engines touch / hit runway then must land down never abort landing and never climb and never take off otherwise too late because engines can be dangerous for damaged impossible to full power after touch / hit runway. Why KHI ATC staff not watch proof witness engines touch / hit runway but passenger reported two engines touched / hit runway abort landing and come back to land too late. Hope all crew pilots to learn experience from them.