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AP-BBA seen at
Jeddah Airport, Saudi Arabia, in March 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 |
