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This photo
taken at Jeddah Airport, Saudi Arabia, in March 2004 shows AP-BBA's fuselage
ruptured by fragments from aircraft's left main landing gear. 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 |
