‘Technical faults’ caused 2016 PIA jet crash
ISLAMABAD: A final investigation into a 2016 air crash in Pakistan found that three technical faults caused the accident that killed all 47 on board, the country’s civil aviation authority said on Thursday.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) ATR42 aircraft smashed into a mountain in northwestern town of Havelian 50km short of its destination, Islamabad, ater taking off from the northern region of Chitral in December, 2016.
The crash killed everyone on board, including Junaid Jamshed, a famed rock star-turned-Muslim evangelist.
Citing a final report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), Pakistan’s civil aviation authority in a statement said there were “three latent faults.” They included the fracture of one of the engine’s power turbine blades, a broken pin and “probably pre-existing contamination” inside a propeller valve.
It said the report had the backing of all parties involved, including North American and French accident investigators.
The plane had a routine daily inspection before it flew that day, the report said, and the then PIA’S chief said the aircraft had undergone regular maintenance, including an “A-check” certification in October, two months before the accident, which was meant to rule out any possibility of a technical error.
With an accumulated Rs400 billion ($2.50 billion) loss, the PIA was this week given the go-ahead to reduce its workforce by a third.
In a separate development, the PIA has discontinued serving “hot beverages” on domestic and international flights to limit interactions between passengers and crew amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesman for the national carrier said the move was part of reviewed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to limit the interaction between the cabin crew and passengers due to increase in COIVD-19 cases.
He said the passengers on domestic flights would be served with a pre-packaged box with cold beverage, instead of tea or coffee.
Like all major airlines, face coverings with masks are mandatory for passengers traveling by PIA to check the spread of COVID-19.
According to sources, the PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) had approved the changes in meal service which had come into force from Nov.16. According to change in meal service, tray service should be immediately stopped in all sectors.