22/05/2020
With utmost regret, PIA announces that one of our Airbus A320 aircraft, operating flight PK8303 on approach to Karachi airport met a sad fate and crashed just before the runway, taking the valuable lives of 99 people on board including 8 crew members.
انا للہ و انا الیہ راجعون
Despite having extensive procedures and trainings to counter such unfortunate events, nothing can prepare anyone for the loss of life. As per international aviation guidelines, detailed investigation would be conducted by Safety Investigation Board (SIB), an independent and transparent body undertaking the task. However, preliminary reports reveal that it was an uneventful flight uptill final approach when the pilot contacted Air Traffic Controller and gave arrival report with everything normal. On short of landing, aircraft reported technical fault and informed that it is proceeding back. Shortly after that, contact was lost and later it was reported crashed.
Details of what the actual technical fault was, can only be established once inquiry is started and critical aircraft parts and evidence from the site is recovered and analyzed. Hence any statement on actual cause of crash can only be termed best as supposition without any factual cause.
Aviation Minister Mr. Ghulam Sarvar Khan and CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik on behalf of PIA management have expressed their deepest remorse on the sad loss of life, reiterating that nothing on earth can make up for the tragic loss of life. It was a very unfortunate event and our hearts go out to all the kins who would be bearing this great loss.
PIA Emergency Response Unit has been activated and our family assistance teams are now in touch with all the aggrieved families. They can be further contacted at:
021-99242284
021-99043766
021-99043833
