ISLAMABAD: One year on from the ill-fated afternoon Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-8303 crashed into a neighborhood near Karachi’s international airport, Pakistan’s aviation minister directed the country’s Air Accidents Investigation branch (AAIB) to make its final report public, in a statement released late Friday.
Pakistan’s government had formed the AAIB following post-accident protocols and investigators from Airbus, the manufacturer of the plane as well as other experts joined the investigation into the cause of the crash.
But on the first anniversary of the mysterious air accident that shook the country on the eve of Eid ul-Fitr last year, reports from the investigation remain inconclusive.
“Minister for aviation has reiterated sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the families and friends of ill-fated crash victims and has directed AAIB Pakistan to make the final report publicly available within shortest possible time,” the statement said.
On May 22, 2020, the domestic flight that originated in Lahore made a failed landing attempt on its engines, after which it crashed into houses in a nearby housing colony, claiming the lives of 97 people on board and one person on the ground.
A preliminary report soon after the crash questioned the role of pilots and Karachi air traffic control based on conversations retrieved from data recorders. The report kickstarted a massive controversy when Aviation Minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, claimed in parliament that 40 percent of Pakistani pilots possessed fake flying licenses.
Recently, families of the victims gathered at the Karachi Press Club and told journalists at a press conference that they were still waiting for answers.
