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This photo
shows AP-BBA at Jeddah Airport, Saudi Arabia, in March of 2004.
In wee hours of March 1, 2004, at night time, AP-BBA was
operating post-Hajj operation flight PK-2002 from Jeddah to
Quetta with a total of 261 passengers and 12 crew members on
board. The A300 began take-off roll from Jeddah Airport at
around 1:40 AM local time when at high speed two tyres from its
left main landing gear blew with a bang due to which left main
landing gear caught fire and began to disintegrate with its
fragments entering engine in-takes and hitting wings and
fuselage of the aircraft. The Jeddah Air Traffic Controller
reported fire in landing gear to pilots of speeding AP-BBA who
decided to abort take-off. The fragments from left main landing
gear caused extensive damage to engines, wings and fuselage of
the aircraft.
According to
investigations conducted by Saudi authorities, defective
retreaded tyres were the cause of this accident. In Pakistan,
cockpit crew of flight PK-2002 received safety award for
professionally handling difficult situation and for saving
precious lives of passengers and crew members of the aircraft.
AP-BBA was insured for US
Dollars 3,000,000 and was declared constructive total loss due
to nature of damage it sustained. Parting out of AP-BBA was
completed in spring of 2006 in Jeddah |
