Team formed to probe plane crash

E-Paper | April 26, 2026

RAWALPINDI: The federal government on Friday constituted an investigation team to probe the crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft near the Karachi airport.

Spokesman for the Aviation Division Abdul Sattar Khokhar said that a notification listing the names of the team members had been issued by the federal government.

He said the investigation team would be headed by Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani, President of the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board. He will be assisted by Wing Commander Malik Muhammad Imran, Additional Director of Technical Investigation; Group Captain Touqeer, Ops Investigator, Pakistan Air Force Safety Board, Kamra; and Mr Nasir Majeed, Joint Director of ATC Ops, AAIB.

The notification said that the investigation team would exercise powers conferred under CAA Rules, 1994, and submit its report to the Aviation Division within the shortest possible time. However, a preliminary statement would be issued within a month from the date of the notification.

Meanwhile, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has expressed his profound grief and sorrow over the PIA plane crash in Karachi and ordered the investigation board to hold an inquiry into the tragedy.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2020

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Science

May 23, 2020 09:26am

Publishing the results of probe is equally important as order for probe.

Recommend 0

Mango

May 23, 2020 09:38am

Now we will know the complete truth

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Chrís Dăń

May 23, 2020 10:47am

Inquiry should be led by International experts in International Aviation Association.

Recommend 0

Ukasha Rajpoot

May 23, 2020 11:59am

Teams, inquiries, cases, judgments, does not matter. Need to change the thought process of our nation.

Recommend 0

Desi

May 23, 2020 01:44pm

Why nobody from Airbus, the manufacturer of the plane involved in the inquiry? Whenever any airplane crash occur anywhere in the world Boeing or Airbus, depending on the airplane is involved. Since Pakistan does not want to reveal the truth behind the accident, investigation is kept in-house so that the end result could be produced according to the likening of the government and management. The investigation team must have independent Airbus and French investigators for the final report to be factual. Otherwise the final report will just put the blame easily as pilot error and that will be it.

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Pakistani

May 23, 2020 02:02pm

Excellent presser by the PIA Chief. Very reasonable and reassuring in this testing time. Impartial inquiry is welcome.

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Ibrahim S,

May 23, 2020 02:27pm

Hello PM IK , your silence is deafening

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Sukhera

May 23, 2020 10:09pm

@Chrís Dăń, I agree that the manufacturer expert's should also be included in the team. The data recorder and the voice recorder should be sent to manufacturer. Our past reports have never been conclusive on what caused the crash. Our local team will cover up the failure of the PIA to maintain its planes air worthy. It will blame the pilot gir sure.

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M. Saeed

May 24, 2020 01:05am

From the reporting from ground, it appears the plane tried to land at Karachi airport without the landing gear, struck the ground with a little bang and took off to air. But, some part of the plane was found on the runway, which might have been the cause of the real mishap thereafter.

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