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-   -   PIA A320 Crash Karachi (https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/632693-pia-a320-crash-karachi.html)

pineteam 23rd May 2020 17:40


Even with a loud warning like in this video, if you are distracted for any reason it can still happen.
But I also believe it most probably happens during a baulked landing.

Douglas Bahada 23rd May 2020 17:40

"Unfortunately, this may prove to be another example of a super dangerous ex military jockey pushing things to the limit"

Or just generally incompetent crew regardless of background.

Jetset320 23rd May 2020 17:46

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4a29c34fab.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5d2eb4fa9d.jpg
Something with PIA and landing gears. Boeing 720 was a base training mishap ~1975 (no injuries/Aircraft returned to service). whilst in the 747-200 accident in1986 crew forgot to lower landing gear before landing. The aircraft made belly landing. Passengers and crew were evacuated through emergency escape slides. Some of the passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation process. Two engines of the aircraft were damaged beyond repair due to belly landing. The Boeing 747 returned to service after repair work.

b1lanc 23rd May 2020 17:50

Avherald now reporting the following:
"On May 23rd 2020 Karachi Airport reported based on CAA inspection report that the runway inspection revealed scrape marks of the left engine start 4500 feet down the runway, the right engine scrape marks begin 5500 feet down the runway. About 6000-7000 feet past the runway threshold the scrape marks end."

Milvus Milvus 23rd May 2020 18:04

Thats a couple of seconds on the ground, not just a quick touch.

Jackonicko 23rd May 2020 18:07


Originally Posted by Superpilot (Post 10791170)
Unfortunately, this may prove to be another example of a super dangerous ex military jockey pushing things to the limit.

Mind that chip on your shoulder, SP.

Did the military reject you?

Joejosh999 23rd May 2020 18:18

So damage to gear doors might suggest they did have gear down on approach?

sonicbum 23rd May 2020 18:21

No, the gear doors are closed with a normal gear extension.

DaveReidUK 23rd May 2020 18:27


Originally Posted by Milvus Milvus (Post 10791243)
Thats a couple of seconds on the ground, not just a quick touch.

There are two 0' AAL points on the altitude plot, 8 seconds apart.

mommus 23rd May 2020 18:50


Originally Posted by Twitter (Post 10791110)
Two things:

Carbon fibre is black. If you scrape the pod you will get through the paint to the black.

Not necessarily. IIRC cowlings on A320s are honeycomb core of either aluminium or nomex, and the skins are often a weave of all kinds of different colours, from black to grey to orange, green to almost white.

Its not like all black carbon fibre on an F1 car

champair79 23rd May 2020 18:55

I don’t think I’ve seen it mentioned but my theory is possibly a false glideslope capture similar to the MyCargo 747 at Bishkek. That’s backed up by listening to the recordings when one of the pilots says “we can make it” which suggests the aircraft has nearly acquired the G/S ‘diamond’ (whilst forgetting to check to see if it’s a sensible glideslope indication using the 3x table). The controller clearly doesn’t feel comfortable as he reiterates they’re 3000-3500ft at 5nm but the pilots reply they’re established on the ILS.

They’d then become so task saturated trying to slow the aircraft down to Vapp that they’d develop tunnel vision and selective hearing, therefore both crew members completely fail to notice the overspeed klaxon sounding in the background plus the inevitable TOO LOW GEAR.

Then as others have said, a little float down the runway, a late decision to go around when they realise the gear isn’t down (or they’re running out of runway) and the engines then take time to spool up. This would then cause the engines to scrape the runway momentarily damaging fuel and oil lines. The engines would probably develop some or TOGA power initially allowing the aircraft to climb out but they then destroy themselves if the internal mechanisms have been damaged (or simply run out of fuel or operate at a limited power). The crew then attempt a tight circuit, lower the gear which drastically reduces the L/D ratio and the aircraft stalls into the urban area just short of the airport. It’s likely at this point the aircraft was probably in alternate law depending on what was damaged reverting to direct law when the gear goes down. This is a much higher workload situation requiring manual trim and a different feel in both pitch and roll and also doesn’t offer the same protections as normal or alternate law.

Causal factors include a lack of sense checking as to their current position in relation to the airfield and both pilots being a bit rusty due to a lack of flying because of COVID. This then lead to a high energy state. They may have been offered various shortcuts by ATC as well due to vastly reduced traffic levels which only exacerbated the situation. Then tunnel vision, selective hearing and a breakdown in CRM occur as both pilots go from a benign scenario in the initial descent to being totally overloaded in a short space of time but suffering from ‘get-thereitis’.

As I said, it’s all pure speculation but this would fit in with what I’ve read so far. What I can’t understand is why the flaps are retracted. Possibly the engines only quit as the aircraft had just cleaned up passing the acceleration altitude.


eagle21 23rd May 2020 18:57

Soon we will find out whether the landing gear was lowered at all on the first approach. That will be key in understanding the rest. Options are:

1. Gear was never selected down on the 1st approach
2. Gear was selected down on the 1st approach but a go around was initiated before touchdown with a premature gear up selection
3 Gear was selected down on the 1st approach but a go around was initiated after touchdown/bounce with a premature gear up selection

LTC8K6 23rd May 2020 18:58


Originally Posted by boguing (Post 10791256)
The main gear doors look dirty/damaged on the section which would have been lowest halfway through their swing, and there seems to be something hanging out.

I think you are seeing the RAT and it's open door.

I can't see any gear door damage.

Dan_Brown 23rd May 2020 19:15

Calling in with established, on the ILS with the height and distance stated, reecks of a false G/S of course. 6degs and 1.5degs.

sonicbum 23rd May 2020 19:27


Originally Posted by boguing (Post 10791272)
Yes, but if my interpretation of the picture is correct then the gear may have been down, and was in the process of retracting when ground contact was made.

(It could also have been on its way down, but that's most unlikely).

I'd been puzzled by the gear up pictures because the captions 'seconds before crash' implies that it was taken on approach. I suggest that it was 'minutes before' and that they were taken as it climbed away from the first attempt.

Oh ok, makes sense.

QDM360 23rd May 2020 19:29


Originally Posted by boguing (Post 10791256)
The main gear doors look dirty/damaged on the section which would have been lowest halfway through their swing, and there seems to be something hanging out.

The gear doors are fine. The thing hanging out is the RAT. And the black area in front of it is the hatch, where the RAT is normally stowed. There is absolutely no doubt about it.

See here for comparison:
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qim...6473d8aaad51-c

Drc40 23rd May 2020 19:30

Regardless of the gear situation and short of catastrophic failure, I still can’t fathom any attempt at landing when your high and hot at 5nm final! 3500’ at 5nm is almost double altitude so my brain is already in GA mode. If the aeroplane was that out of sorts you land on first attempt even if it’s belly first. Lots of real head scratchers here. That aeroplane got way ahead of those boys. How that happened remains to be seen but it’s bloody tragedy.

donotdespisethesnake 23rd May 2020 19:31


Originally Posted by boguing (Post 10791256)
The main gear doors look dirty/damaged on the section which would have been lowest halfway through their swing, and there seems to be something hanging out.

Nope, you're looking at a deployed RAT and the "dirty/damaged section" is it's open access door.

mommus 23rd May 2020 19:34


Originally Posted by boguing (Post 10791256)
The main gear doors look dirty/damaged

Thats the RAT, its forward of the gear doors. Look at the relative position of the trailing edge in both those pics for reference

Down Three Greens 23rd May 2020 19:36


Originally Posted by Locked door (Post 10791211)
Just to clarify, people are talking about a master caution for the gear not being down.

The warning is a repetitive “TOO LOW, GEAR” in a loud, urgent voice over the speakers. IIRC it triggers at 500RA, it’s hard to believe they continued to land with that happening. You can’t cancel it unless you turn the GPWS off on the overhead panel.

A mishandled baulked landing after a high energy approach and deep landing is much more likely.

Very sad.

You will also get a ECAM master warning.

Triggering conditions.
  1. L/G is not downlocked and radio height is lower than 750 ft and both engines N1 lower than 75% (or if engine shutdown N1of remaining engine lower than 97%) or
  2. L/G is not downlocked and radio height is lower than 750 ft and both engines are not at T.O power and flaps at 1, 2, 3 or FULL or
  3. L/G is not downlocked and flaps at 3 or FULL and both radio altimeters are failed.

A useful reference other than the FCOM.

https://safetyfirst.airbus.com/app/t...r-downlock.pdf




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