PAKISTAN: Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority Nadeem Khan Yousafzai promises a full probe into Bhoja Air passenger plane crash in Islamabad
Record ID:
382886
PAKISTAN: Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority Nadeem Khan Yousafzai promises a full probe into Bhoja Air passenger plane crash in Islamabad
- Title: PAKISTAN: Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority Nadeem Khan Yousafzai promises a full probe into Bhoja Air passenger plane crash in Islamabad
- Date: 22nd April 2012
- Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (APRIL 21, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BENAZIR BHUTTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT NADEEM KHAN YOUSAFZAI, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF PAKISTAN'S CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English/Urdu) DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF PAKISTAN'S CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY, NADEEM KHAN YOUSAFZAI, SAYING: "He (the pilot) acknowledged the signal, and then contact was lost and the blip disappeared from the radar. He descended to 2,000 feet from 2,600 feet (860 metres). It just went down into a dive. And what happened in this period, that has to be investigated. Why he went down, what was the reason, was there a downdraft, was there an engine failure? Different type of things will come into the investigation which I cannot discuss with you at this time, because, without investigation, nothing should be said." AMBULANCES PARKED OUTSIDE HOSPITAL MEN CARRYING CASKETS OUT OF HOSPITAL / RELATIVES WATCHING WOMEN MEN CARRYING CASKET COVERED WITH ROSES TOWARDS AMBULANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English/Urdu) DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF PAKISTAN'S CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY, NADEEM KHAN YOUSAFZAI, SAYING: "It is wrong to say that the decision (to allow the Bhoja aircraft to fly) was taken under political pressure. Civil Aviation, we are a regular authority. We have a reputation to maintain. As Pakistanis you will be happy to know when I tell you that there was a worldwide, international audit of ISO (International Organization for Standardization). Pakistan is rated number 10 in the world." VARIOUS OF CASKET BEING LOADED ONTO AMBULANCE
- Embargoed: 7th May 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Pakistan, Pakistan
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Disasters,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA7LG8EHTH69VKE5HQFDAOGX63I
- Story Text: Pakistani officials on Saturday (April 21) promised a full investigation into the crash of a domestic flight that killed 127 people, saying they were examining all possibilities, from a technical fault to the age of the Boeing 737.
The head of Pakistan's Civil Air Authority said the plane was locked into the instrument landing system -- an approach system that provides precision guidance for aircraft -- when it suddenly dropped from2,900 feet (883 metres) to 2,000 feet.
"He (the pilot) acknowledged the signal, and then contact was lost and the blip disappeared from the radar. He descended to 2,000 feet from 2,600 feet (860 metres). It just went down into a dive. And what happened in this period, that has to be investigated. Why he went down, what was the reason, was there a downdraft, was there an engine failure? Different type of things will come into the investigation which I cannot discuss with you at this time, because, without investigation, nothing should be said," Nadeem Khan Yousafzai told reporters at a press conference in Islamabad.
The Boeing 737-200 was more than 27 years old, according to AviationSafety.net.
Yousafzai rejected allegations that Bhoja Air had used political pressure to get permission to fly the aircraft.
"It is wrong to say that the decision (to allow the Bhoja aircraft to fly) was taken under political pressure. Civil Aviation, we are a regular authority. We have a reputation to maintain. As Pakistanis you will be happy to know when I tell you that there was a worldwide, international audit of ISO (International Organization for Standardization). Pakistan is rated number 10 in the world," he said .
Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters the owner of Bhoja Air, Farooq Bhoja, had been barred from leaving the country to ensure his cooperation with the investigation.
Bhoja officials were not immediately available for comment.
Grieving relatives claiming the remains of loved ones at a hospital expressed grief as they watched coffins being loaded onto ambulances. Many had flown up from Karachi on Saturday morning for the task of identifying victims.
In July 2010, an AirBlue jet slammed into the mountains ringing Islamabad on a foggy morning, killing all 152 aboard. Two other crashes that year killed 33 people.
Pakistan is rated a category 1 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority, which means it meets international standards for air safety. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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