RAWALPINDI, Nov 21: An Islamabad-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight with 190 people aboard took a 1,000 feet plunge after hitting an air pocket over Lahore, causing minor injuries to several passengers and two of the 12 crew, the authorities said.
The non-stop flight PK-308, with 178 passengers and 12 crew aboard, was coming from Karachi.
After hitting the air pocket, the plane took a steep descent of 1,000 feet panicking the passengers.
“Some people were slightly hurt when PK-308 from Karachi to Islamabad got stuck in an air pocket, causing it to descend 1,000 feet,” airport manager Ishfaq Ahmed said.
The airline’s spokesman, Latif Ahmed, said that two of the crew, identified as Ghulam Muhammad and Raheem Dad, were injured. He said the plane got stuck in an air pocket while coming to Islamabad, however, the landing was normal and no damage was done to the plane.
Shortly after landing at Islamabad airport, engineers started inspecting the plane. An airport source told this reporter that as soon as the terrified passengers entered the domestic arrival lounge, the airport management received them.
However, one of the passengers, who was named as Tariq Nasrullah Malik, a senior official at PM Secretariat, reportedly snubbed the Civil Aviation Authority officials for treating the incident as normal, as several people had been hurt. Senators Mohammad Ali Brohi, Ahmed Ali and Asif Jatoi were also aboard the plane.
