Maintenance lapse caused PIA plane crash
islamabad — The Safety Investigation Board (SIB) of Pakistan in a report blamed the maintenance department of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the crash of PK-661 near Havelian in 2016, which killed famous singer-turnedpreacher Junaid Jamshed and 47 other passengers.
The SIB’s preliminary report pointed out that maintenance lapse could be the possible cause of the incident and put forward immediate suggestions and recommendations to avoid such incidents in future.
The report states that the investigation into the crash is heading towards a concluding stage, however, some important findings of technical nature require immediate attention of the authorities concerned.
“The sequence of events (that
led to the crash) was initiated with the dislodging of one blade of Power Turbine Stage (PT-1), inside engine No 1 (left side engine) due to fatigue. This dislodging of one blade resulted in in-flight engine shut down, and it contributed towards erratic/ abnormal behavior of a propeller,” reads the report.
According to requirements, the report states, the turbines blades were due for a change, having already completed the 10,0000 hours after which they needed to be replaced. However, the CAA failed to make necessary changes at the next maintenance check. The report states the aircraft flew approximately 93 hours after the above-mentioned maintenance activity before it crashed on December 7.
“Missing out of such activity highlights a lapse on the part of PIAC (maintenance and quality assurance) as well as a possible inadequacy/lack of oversight by PCAA (Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority),” said the report
The board in light of the abovementioned observations recommended the national flag carrier to “ensure immediate implementation of the service bulletin in letter and spirit on the entire fleet of ATR aircraft, undertake an audit of the related areas of maintenance practices, ascertain root cause(s) for the said lapse, and adopt appropriate corrective measures to avoid recurrence”. —