A Pakistan International Airlines A320-200, registration AP-BLD performing flight PK-8303 from Lahore to Karachi (Pakistan) with 90 passengers and 8 crew, has crashed on its second or third attempt to land.
Over 100 dead have been reported with many on the ground losing their lives.
Aviation Herald reported that it had aborted the approach to Karachi due to problems with extension of the landing gear and performed a go-around.
The website said that “while on second final approach the crew declared Mayday repeatedly reporting they had lost both engines. The aircraft lost height and impacted a residential area called Model Colony, featuring concrete multistorey buildings east of the aerodrome (presumably while on final approach to runway 25L) and burst into flames.”
However other reports suggest 3 attempts to land. There was not much post-crash fire so one area of investigation will be fuel starvation suggests renown former crash investigator Greg Feith.
Airbus said:
“Airbus regrets to confirm that an A320 aircraft operated by Pakistan International Airlines was involved in an accident during flight #PK8303 from Lahore to Karachi on May, 22 2020.
Initial reports indicate there were 91 passengers and 8 crew members on-board.
Our thoughts are with all those affected.
At this stage, Airbus has no confirmed information concerning the circumstances of the accident…”
Another area of concern for multiple engines failing is bird strikes. Information provided to me by aviation colleagues in the area is that there has been an increased amount of bird hits near Karachi airport. The reason for this is increasing amounts of trash dumped in the area or in close proximity to the airports.
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According to AP witnesses said the Airbus A320 appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport.
The residential area on the edge of the airport known as Model Colony is a poor area and heavily congested.
PIA Airbus A320 from Lahore was about to land in Karachi when it crashed at the Model Colony in Malir Cant Karachi.?#planecrash pic.twitter.com/tYoxURCT3g
— Murtaza Mubejo (@MurtazaPPP) May 22, 2020
AP said that a resident of the area, Abdul Rahman, said he saw the aircraft circle at least three times, appearing to try to land at the airport before it crashed into several houses.
