PIA teams recover cockpit voice recorder a week after devastating plane crash

Published May 28, 2020
In the present case, the CVR is of more importance because it records all sounds, including pilots’ conversations, in the cockpit. — Photo courtesy PIA Twitter account
In the present case, the CVR is of more importance because it records all sounds, including pilots’ conversations, in the cockpit. — Photo courtesy PIA Twitter account

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the ill-fated PK-8303, which crashed in Karachi last week, has been recovered from the debris, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Thursday.

The national carrier, in a tweet, said that PIA teams, aided by Airbus experts, had been searching "extensively" for the recorder, which will now be handed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

"This will be a key component in the Air Crash Investigation," the tweet read. "PIA teams were searching extensively for CVR aided by Airbus team."

Last week, the Airbus A-320 aircraft that had flown from Lahore, crashed into Model Colony, a residential area near the Karachi airport, after both its engines apparently failed. Only two people survived the devastating crash out of the 99 passengers and crew members on board. The remaining 97 were killed and DNA tests are underway to identify the victims.

Related: Crashed Airbus last checked on March 21, returned from Muscat a day ago

The plane made failed attempts to land at the Karachi airport before the crash. Authorities had recovered the flight data recorder (FDR) of the ill-fated aircraft on the day of the crash, but could not find the CVR.

Both FDR and CVR are the two key components of the ‘black box’ of an aircraft. In the present case, the CVR is of more importance because it records all sounds, including pilots’ conversations, in the cockpit.

PIA and AAIB teams along with an 11-member team of Airbus experts and engineers have been scouring the site of the crash for the past three days in order to collect evidence which would help determine the cause of the crash.

Opinion

Revamping the ecosystem

Revamping the ecosystem

Key to high-quality performance of public sector institutions lies in attracting, retaining and motivating civil servants of high calibre throughout the system.

Editorial

Rain havoc
Updated 19 Jul, 2025

Rain havoc

Thursday’s events must be seen not as an isolated disaster, but as a warning of what lies ahead.
Shattered Strip
19 Jul, 2025

Shattered Strip

THE Gaza siege has now crossed 650 days and the situation continues to take one ugly turn after another. True, even...
Battling drugs
19 Jul, 2025

Battling drugs

PAKISTAN’s war on drug trafficking has been ongoing for several years. But the country remains awash in the ...
Soaring again
Updated 18 Jul, 2025

Soaring again

The lifting of the ban by the UK will lead to several welcome developments.
Terror in Kalat
18 Jul, 2025

Terror in Kalat

THE unrest in Balochistan is increasingly taking on an ugly and dangerous colour, with repeated, indiscriminate...
Economic exclusion
18 Jul, 2025

Economic exclusion

FOR all the progress made in Pakistan towards the inclusion of women across the sociopolitical divide, comprehensive...