CAA says PIA pilot violated landing protocol

LAHORE: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a report issued on Tuesday had alleged that the PIA pilot violated landing protocol, reported The News.

According to the report, the pilot disregarded air traffic control's (ATC) direction to lower the altitude.

In his letter to the general manager (safety), the additional director of flight operations has stated the plane's altitude and speed were higher than the required limit for landing. The ATC had cautioned the pilot twice but he disregarded the warning.

PIA flight PK-8303 suffered a tragic air crash in Karachi last month, killing 97 people on board while two passengers survived miraculously.

During the ill-fated flight, the pilots made a first landing attempt and the plane briefly touched the ground multiple times, before attempting to land for a second time. Experts say the pilots likely tried to land the Airbus without lowering the wheels, damaging both engines so badly they soon failed.

On May 26, a team of Airbus technical advisers arrived in Karachi from France to investigate the crash. Under the international aviation rules, the BEA, the French air safety investigation authority joined the Pakistan-led inquiry because the 15-year-old jet was designed in France.

Investigators have uncovered the Airbus' black box and cockpit voice recorder and Pakistani authorities hope to release initial findings by June 22.

The PK-8303 tragedy has become the third most-catastrophic aviation disaster in the country's history.

In a letter to all airlines operating the A320 narrow-body jets, Airbus said it will provide full technical cooperation to the PIA, Air France, and engine manufacturer CFM International after the crash.

The ill-fated Airbus A320 plane was handed over to the PIA in 2014 and had completed 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flight cycles until its crash.