M Omar Iftikhar
THE passengers of the ill-fated PIA flight
8303 would be happy to be arriving at
Karachi from Lahore on 22 May 2020. With Eid just two days away, their relatives and friends in Karachi would have made plans to meet them. However, just a minute or two before the landing, a tragedy changed their lives. The plane, an Airbus A320, could not maintain altitude and crashed in the densely populated area of Model Colony, Karachi.
This is not just a national tragedy. All Pakistanis have been affected by this crisis. On-board this airplane was someone’s immediate relative, distant relative, friend, office colleague, former classmate, a mutual friend. Apparently, everyone had some connection in one form or the other with the passengers.
The news of the crash along with the footage was soon airing on television screens. This shows the unethical journalism pursued by electronic media outlets and their lack and ignorance of any standard operating procedures. Residents claim that volunteers and social welfare organizations along with the army and rescue services arrived at the scene. They began helping the residents whose homes were destroyed and caught fire. They also began taking out the passengers from the rubble. By the time of the Iftar, people had donated food items that showed the unity and solidarity that is still alive among our people.
However, the sense and sensibility of the authorities who need to protect our skies and airplanes are nowhere to be seen. This was the eighteenth air crash and the seventh in a decade. There must be loopholes in the system that are ignored. There must be procedures that are not being followed. There are insights that are being neglected. Just one plane crash should have compelled the aviation authorizes to mobilize their human resources to ascertain the reason for the crash. However, no factual and concrete reports were ever shared. In July 2010, Airblue’s airplane crashed into the Margalla Hills. Bhoja Airlines’ plane crashed in April 2012. In 2015, a Shaheen Air Boeing 737-400 sustained damage while landing at Lahore. In 2016, an ATR 42-500 crashed near Chitral.
There were no sustainable reports citing the real cause of these incidents. To blame an airplane to crash because of a technical fault is the easiest statement to give. However, the courage of those in command is to undertake the responsibility to identify the actual cause and the people responsible. It is true that machines and equipment can malfunction. However, as humans, we need to use our sound judgment, wisdom and experience to take proactive measures at all times. When the news reports cite that the PK-8303 needed some parts to be replaced, then who allowed the airplane to continue its operations? There is always a loophole that is missed or a blatant ignorance that causes such accidents.
People, social media keyboard warriors and analysts have cited that the pilot could be at fault. It is unwise to come to rapid conclusions so early. The information from the black box will reveal the true picture. It will disclose what actually went wrong as flight PK-8303 approached the Jinnah International Airport. Putting the blame on a veteran pilot akin to that of Captain Sajjad Gul is improper and illogical. He was an experienced pilot who, according to sources and raw footage from CCTV, tried to keep the airplane airborne. A technical fault – an engine failure – became the cause of the plane to crash.
This national tragedy has affected all of us because there were people and families on board the plane. The plane crashed on homes where residents were unaware of their fate. This has affected our social consciousness because PIA has not enhanced its operations over the years. The government must call for an inquiry and this inquiry commission must include members of the Pakistan Airlines’ Pilots Association (PALPA). Questions, demands, grievances and objections of the passengers’ relatives and the public must be addressed at once.
— The writer is a freelance columnist based in Karachi.