Civil aircraft number 8303 of Pakistan International Airlines carrying 98 people crashed and plunged into a residential area near Jinnah Airport in the port city of Karachi in Pakistan on May 22. Pakistani authorities say two people on board are still alive. At least 88 bodies have been found in the rubble. It is not clear how many people on the ground were killed in the incident.
The flight with many military officers, businessmen and bank officials, once hoped to be a symbol of a return to normal in the country, has become a symbol of grief. According to the AP , the pilot of Flight 8303 sent an emergency signal to the air tower just before the plane crashed to the ground. Photo: AP .
The rescue of victims of the plane crash was carried out overnight, a mobile morgue was set up at the scene. Pakistan International President Arshad Malik said it would take two to three days to find all the dead bodies. The plane crashed to the ground at 2:39 pm on May 22 in densely populated and impoverished areas. Photo: AP .
Malik said Pakistani authorities had launched an investigation into the cause of the incident and confirmed the plane was in good working condition before the incident. The original cause of the crash was thought to be an engine failure during landing. Photo: AP .
A conversation between the pilot of Flight 8303 and the air traffic control tower posted on the LiveATC.net website shows that the pilot tried to land but failed, and had to fly around in the air to find a way. Grounding again. Photo: AP .
"We had to land directly, we lost the engine," the pilot said. The air traffic control tower then allowed to land at the airport. "Emergency, emergency, emergency, emergency, Pakistan 8393", the pilot’s voice rang just before the conversation ended. A resident of the area said he saw the plane fly around at least three times before it crashed to the ground. Photo: AP .
Technical documents show that the aircraft No. 8303 conducted a final inspection on November 1, 2019. The chief technician of Pakistan International Airlines also signed a separate certificate on April 28, concluding that the aircraft had conducted all necessary maintenance. "The aircraft is fully operational and meets all specifications," the certificate states. Photo: AP .
The plane in distress was an Airbus A320. Airbus said the 8303 had a total of 25,860 flights with 47,100 flight hours. Photo: AP .
Pakistan resumed its domestic flights this week just before Eid-al Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan fasting. The majority of passengers on Flight 8303 crashed on their way from Lahore back home to Karachi to celebrate Eid-al Fitr. "The most unfortunate and traumatic thing is that many families were killed. They were families moving together to celebrate Eid-al Fitr," Pakistan Science Minister Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry said. Photo: AP .
In a tweet, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said a detailed investigation of the cause of the incident would immediately begin. "Praying and giving condolences to the families of the deceased victims," Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote. Photo: AP .
