Human Error Blamed For Pakistan Passenger Plane Crash

A passenger plane crash that killed 97 people in the port city of Pakistan last month was a result of “human error,” according to the initial investigation into the disaster.

There was nothing wrong with the crashed aircraft, an Airbus A320, but the pilot, the co-pilot, and air traffic control failed to follow protocol, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on June 24 as he presented preliminary findings in parliament

Only two passengers survived when the Pakistani International Airlines (PIA) jet went down in a residential area on May 22 after trying to land at the city's Jinnah International Airport.

Khan said the pilot failed to deploy the landing gear correctly, which led to the plane scraping the runway before taking off again.

As the plane was about to make a second landing, air traffic control told the pilot three times the aircraft was too low to land but he refused to listen, saying he would manage, the minister said.

He also said that air traffic controllers failed to inform the pilot that the engines had been left badly damaged.

Khan said that the pilots were also distracted during the flight while talking about the coronavirus pandemic.

A full investigation report is expected in one year’s time.

Based on reporting by the BBC and AP