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Old 29th Jul 2010, 19:42
  #160 (permalink)  
Meekal
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Virginia USA
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As has just been confirmed, yes, Pakistan is a member of ICAO. However, in 62 years, there has been no published, or publically-assessible air accident report. PIA pilot's are given an internal summary memo of the salient facts and/or safety recommendations, but that is strictly confidential.

PIA's no.1 pilot in seniority Capt. A.A Khan flew his 720B into the ground on approach on the inaugural flight to Cairo. No one knows why.

My class-mate Capt. K.Wyne was departing Jeddah one night in a 707-320 and it is rumored he had an in-flight cabin fire. He turned around but did not make it. Crashed in Taif.

Capt. I. Janjua flew his A300B4 one step ahead of the step-down Sierra One approach into Khatmandu, Nepal. He hit a ridge. A classic CFIT from which valuable lessons could have been learnt.

I mentioned that very senior commander Capt. Siraj in the 747-200 who forgot to put his gear down landing at Islamabad. Why? All I know is that Capt. Siraj retired.

Finally, an F.27 Fokker Friendship departed Multan on a very hot day when climb performance is degraded and got an engine-fire just after lift-off. He crashed in a field. It was rumored that the aircraft was over-loaded. Since some big shots from the judiciary got killed, the government grounded the entire Fokker fleet. We now have the ATR42.

Not to mention the most dramatic crash of all, the VVIP C-130 of General Zia with the US Ambassador and others on board. It took off after they had witnessed a tank display in central Pakistan and after experiencing several phugoid ossilations [forgive my spelling if wrong] plunged 90 degree nose-down into the ground. Lockheed came to assist; since the US Ambassador was killed the FBI came to assist too. To this day his son asks where is the report!

I will apply pressure, speak to others in and out of government but the struggle could be in vain. I suppose the ICAO cannot force government to publish. What a pity. They should expel (or suspend) Pakistan from membership of the organization for lack of transparency and actions prejudicial to air safety.
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