Nearly four years following the catastrophic crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 on May 22, 2020, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board has released its final investigation report, attributing the tragedy, which resulted in at least 99 fatalities, to human error.
The report identifies the cause of the accident as human error, marking it as the third deadliest aviation disaster in Pakistan’s history. Among the victims were passengers, crew members, and two residents of the area where the aircraft crashed, with only two passengers surviving—the then-chief executive of the Bank of Punjab and a young engineer.
Investigative findings disclose that the pilot received four warnings from air traffic control about the aircraft’s excessive altitude before landing. Despite these cautions, permission for landing was granted on the fifth communication. A notable lack of coordination and communication between the cockpit crew and air traffic controllers was highlighted.
Specifically, the report points out that during the initial landing attempt, the cockpit crew was distracted, leading to a critical error where the landing gear was retracted right before touchdown, causing the aircraft to attempt a gear-up landing. The engines scraped the runway, igniting a fire that the air traffic controller failed to report to the pilots.
Both engines suffered damage due to the impact, with the lubrication system failing shortly after that, leading to a simultaneous shutdown of both engines.
The investigation also found that the flight data recorder failed to capture the plane’s final four minutes due to the engine failure and subsequent electrical outage. Administrative responsibility for the crash has been attributed to both PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
Further, the report criticizes the absence of clear guidelines from the Civil Aviation Authority regarding pilots operating flights while fasting. It also notes a failure within PIA to follow flight data analysis protocols after each flight, a lapse that has obscured recurrent pilot errors and hindered corrective measures.
The report concludes with a call for improved flight data analysis to identify and rectify procedural errors, underscoring the need for greater attention to pilot training and operational discipline.
On the day of the accident, the ill-fated flight PK 8303 was en route from Lahore to Karachi, carrying 99 individuals. The crash resulted in 97 deaths, including two fatalities on the ground, as the aircraft descended upon Karachi’s Model Town area, leaving only two miraculous survivors.
