The Pakistan government has mandated a new safety inspection for all privately run Pakistan airlines following the fatal crash of a Bhoja Air (BHO) Boeing 737-200 Friday.
The Associated Press reported that Pakistan Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar told state TV that aircraft operated by private airlines will be inspected one by one, and any aircraft that fails will be grounded. Planes currently in operation will be allowed to fly as they await inspection, he said.
The BHO aircraft was carrying 127 passengers and crew when it crashed on approach to Islamabad (ISB). The aircraft was destroyed and there were no survivors. There were severe storms and heavy rain in the area at the time of the crash.
The domestic flight, BHO 213, was en route from Karachi (KHI) and reportedly lost contact with the control tower about 10 min. before it was supposed to land. At a news conference Saturday, Nadeem Khan Yousafzai, head of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority, said the aircraft suddenly dropped from 2,900 ft. to 2,000 ft. as it was preparing to land.
Boeing issued a statement saying it stood ready to provide technical assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan through the US National Transportation Safety Board.
BHO restarted flying this year after a decade of dormancy. It operates 737-200s and one 737-400 on domestic routes out of KHI.
The last major airline accident in Pakistan, which resulted in the destruction of an Airblue Airbus A321, occurred in July 2010 and also involved a failed approach to ISB.
Article Source : ATW Daily News
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