AirBlue jet down in Islamabad

[FULLTHRUST]

There is only one channel on 777 which is mechanical - elevators, the rest is all FBW!

The Boeing philosophy to have a conventional control column is again along the lines of what Dr. Abbot has done research on! Boeing still has the same conventional control column on 787!

Even after FBW - they have the "artificial feel" (AF) incorporated into the control wheel and side sticks.

(On a side note, the AF is available on most of the flt sims that you can hook up with your PC.)

On the contrary, Airbuses having side sticks are 100% FWB, again the philosophy of basic piloting kicks in - "believe your instruments"..

[meekal ahmed]

Thanks for the information.

But I think we are missing the point unless the point is that FBW and side-sticks lead to more crashes.

This has NOTHING to do with the reality and the facts (but correct me if the data points another way). The facts are that excessive and prolonged use of automatics tends to degrade basic flying skills so that when the S-hits-the-fan, you don't know what to do.

Imagine flying for ten years and then reflecting on the fact that you only hand-flew for 150 minutes!

[Abbas Ali]

According to a news report published in July 11 edition of English daily 'The News', on behalf of Capital Development Authority (CDA), AirBlue has plans to inaugurate construction of flight ED-202 memorial at crash site on July 28, 2011, which will be the first anniversary of the deadliest air crash on Pakistani soil.

The memorial will be a granite wall engraved with names of all 146 passengers and 6 cabin crew members who died in this accident.

There also will be a pathway leading to crash site at Margalla Hills and a space for parking 8 to 10 cars will also be provided for visitors at planned memorial site.

Plantation of 152 trees at crash site with each tree named after a crash victim is also suggested.

The complete news report can be read on following link:

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDe ... =7/11/2011

Abbas

[meekal ahmed]

Thanks for this information, Abbas.

This is all very well and the least that AB can do.

More is needed and at least I know what that is. I hope others on this Forum have the same wish.

[Khan747]

BBC news about the struggling families of airblue crash victims.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2011 ... t_ra.shtml

[Abbas Ali]

Government urged to unveil Airblue crash report

Published: July 17, 2011

KARACHI - Airblue Crash Affectees Group has demanded of the government to release investigation report of the incident in which 152 passengers lost their lives.

This was demanded by Junaid Hamid, Convener Airblue Crash Affectees Group, along with the family members of victims during a press conference here at Karachi Press Club on Saturday.

Junaid said that Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and investigation agencies who were investigating the Murgalla Airblue crash case are avoiding to public the facts. At least 152 people died in the crash of plane on 28th July 2010, while one year has passed but the investigation report is still not made public.

Some of the officials of CAA and ministry of defence are avoiding to speak truth about the incident, he added. He added that knowing about the facts and basic reasons of the incident is human right. “We filed a petition in Peshawar High Court on 4th November for knowing about the investigation report prepared by the CAA officials. The Civil Aviation Authority is also avoiding to present investigation report to the Ministry of Defence,” he claimed.
The Minister of Defence and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should release investigation report of the tragic incident of Airblue. The facts should be made public. Criticising the Civil Aviation Authority, he said that officials who prepared the report were involved in Rs 15b corruption in CAA. On this occasion one of the victim families member Iftikhar said if the plane was crashed by the mistake of the Captain or something else, the govt should tell truth to the family members of 152 victims.

Source: The Nation

[adamalikhan]

My thoughts are sincerely with all those who lost loved ones almost one year ago. I'm sure many will reminisce the final goodbye, the last conversation/plans/hopes/desires/aspirations.

Losing a loved one is tragic in itself but in such horrific circumstances as the AirBlue crash must be heartbreaking. Not having any answers or cause of crash must deepen the grief to a whole new level and make every day/night without the loved one extremely difficult to cope with.

No investigation or report will bring back those who lost their lives on 28/07/2010 but for their families, knowing something about the circumstances may just help, albeit very little, in coming to terms with their loss.

[adamalikhan]

Gilani seeks Air Blue crash report

PM has summoned Defence Ministry officials on July 28 to submit Air Blue crash investigation report.

According to sources, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani will chair a meeting in Islamabad on July 28 regarding investigation of Air Blue plane crash.

The Defence Ministry officials are also summoned to apprise the meeting about the inquiry into the plane crash. The meeting will also decide that how much portion of the inquiry report will be published.

A private company, Air Blue, plane was crashed near Margalla Hills on July 28, 2010 on route to Islamabad from Karachi. At least 136 people were killed in the crash.

Source: http://www.dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q ... Q9MzEwNTU=


AirBlue flight ED220 KHI-ISB 10:30 and return ISB-KHI 21:00 are both marked as SOLD OUT. I guess this is for victims families who will be visiting ISB to mark the first anniversary of this tragic event. Victim families were given 100 tickets to be used within 3 years as per the news report below:

ISLAMABAD: Airblue has announced 100 airline tickets to each of the aggrieved family who lost their loved one during the plane crash on July 28 . The company had earlier announced cash reparation of Rs5million per family. These steps are being taken by Airblue with an aim of rebuilding its image after its flight ED-202 crashed into Margalla Hills and killed all 152 onboard.

On September 30, Chairman Airblue Shahid Khaqan Abbasi held his first interaction with the members of bereaved families at a private hotel in Islamabad.

During the meeting he announced to give 100 airline tickets to each family, which can be used in the period of three years.

The tickets can be availed on domestic circuit as well as all of the international routes the airline plies on. These include Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Oman and Manchester along with other cities.

Moreover, people also discussed the compensation issues with the chairman of Airblue. People said that the promised amount was not being dispatched to them and the matter was being delayed. To this the Khaqan assured Rs0.5million of interim payment, before the total amount of Rs5 million was released for each family.

Ahmed, who lost his relative in the air crash said, “Two months have passed since the tragic incident took place and we still have not received any compensation from the government or the management of the airline.”

However, Khaqan confirmed that the company was going to give 100 tickets to each family. “Thirty families have received compensation money so far; others would receive them in two weeks and an additional Rs50,000 will be provided to cover legal expenses,” he said.

Abbasi added that government would also give Rs500,000 to each family after receiving succession certificates

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2010.
.

[hasan saleem]

My condolences and in remembrance to the lost ones in the Crash last year.

[Abbas Ali]

AirBlue Accident Interim Report Issued by CAA

JULY 28 - According to local news channels, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a provisional/interim report on the first anniversary of AirBlue accident.

The report has been sent to Federal Government.

The report does not pinpoint exact cause of the accident, according to news channels.

Hope to see complete text of this report in newspapers in coming days.

On July 28, 2010, AirBlue Airbus A321-200 (registration AP-BJB) operating flight ED-202 from Karachi to Islamabad crashed into Margalla hills minutes before landing at Islamabad Airport. All 152 people aboard the aircraft including 6 crew members died in this accident making it the worst passenger aircraft accident to happen on Pakistani soil.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Tragedy on Margalla Hills one year on Pilot’s negligence, technical fault caused last year’s AirBlue crash: report

By Shakeel Anjum

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Islamabad: The investigation report of the AirBlue plane crash on Margalla Hills revealed that negligence of the pilot as well as technical fault caused the disaster, as the pilot could not judge he had attained a very low altitude, sources in the Ministry of Interior told ‘The News’.

The investigation team, constituted by the government, completed investigation into the tragedy in April this year, but the government is avoiding to making the investigation report public and hiding its findings for unknown reasons, sources disclosed.

AirBlue Chairman Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, when contacted by this scribe for his comments, confirmed that the investigation report has been completed and handed over to the government some four months back but the government didn’t make it public yet. He, however, said that the plane crash occurred neither due to any technical fault nor it was an act of terrorism. “I haven’t read the investigation report but I can confirm that the crash didn’t occur due to any technical fault,” Abbasi said.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had constituted a five-member committee, headed by Air Commodore Khawaja Abdul Majeed, Chairman Safety Investigation, to investigate into the plane crash.

One year back, on July 28, 2010, a commercial Air Blue airbus, coming from Karachi, crashed on the cloud-covered Margalla Hills, behind Faisal Mosque due to rough weather. All 152 people on board, including 7 minors — 146 passengers and 7 crew members — were killed in the crash. As many as 13 passengers, having confirmed tickets, had not boarded the plane at Karachi due to personal reasons.

Sources, quoting the insertions of the report, said that the captain was not attentive during the landing while the junior pilot was holding the operation. “As he felt the peril, he took over the control and tried to tackle the adverting situation but thick clouds had made visibility very low at the time and a heavy downpour was continuing and the aeroplane had lost height unexpectedly due to stalling speed. The captain had no option except to turn the plane to its extreme left but due to very low attitude it collided with the mountain’s lower peak.

“The aircraft sharply turned to its left and took awry and uneven pose as its wings took vertical position but could not attain the required height to cross over the hilltops and its left wing collided with the lower peak of a mountain first and then whole plane rammed into the mountain turning it into pieces.”

An expert told ‘The News’ that the investigation team had to reconstruct the pieces of the aircraft to know the real cause of crash but they didn’t reassemble the pieces as the pieces scattered in the radius of one kilometre down and over the hills, could not be gathered properly.

What was the internal situation of the plane and how the passengers reacted before the crash? The recording of the Black Box could not be heard completely, sources said and added that some part of the Black Box could be read by the foreign experts describing hue and cry of the passengers started a few minutes before the crash that later increased at the last moment when the plane took sharp left turn and its wings took vertical position.

“The Black Box recording didn’t depict any sign of terrorism in the plane crash,” sources disclosed, adding that no significant technical fault was found in the Black Box recording or during the course of investigation.

The investigation, conducted primarily, said the pilot might be suffering from accumulated fatigue because he was not given adequate leave.

The preliminary report said the route was not a no-fly zone, as was being speculated. The plane exceeded the safety distance due to bad weather. The decision was taken by the pilot who could not determine the appropriate landing route and the ISL system’s access ended a little before Islamabad and the pilot had to resort to visual queues for landing.

Airbus A320 of Air Blue’s flight 202 took off from Karachi Airport at 7:42 a.m. with 12 minutes delay carrying 152 people, including crew members, on board. The flight reached before time at 9:30 a.m. and the pilot approached the control tower of Benazir Bhutto International Airport seeking direction for landing, the report said, adding that due to the rough weather, the control tower asked the pilot to land from the Margalla Hill side. The pilot followed the direction and turned the direction to Margalla Hills that resulted in the disaster.

The flight departed from Karachi airport at 7:50 a.m. for Islamabad. Minutes before the landing, it suddenly lost contact with the control tower of the Islamabad Airport. After a while the plane crashed.

The report, quoting the eyewitness accounts, said people noticed airbus flying at very low altitude and soon they heard a loud explosion and smoke coming out from the site. Smoke was seen on the Margalla Hills by people of Islamabad for hours.

The report, quoting Civil Aviation Authority officials, mentioned that the pilot tried to land at Islamabad on schedule at 9:30 a.m. but was asked to wait because the airport was busy. The aircraft had disappeared from radar screens shortly before the crash was reported, it added.

The captain of the ill-fated AirBlue flight ED-202, crashed into the Margalla Hills, was Pervez Iqbal Chaudhary and he was 64 years, 5 months and 11 days old when the plane crash incident happened, said in the report.

Mr. Chaudhary joined AirBlue some four years back after getting retirement from PIA, the report said, adding that he was going to retire at the age 65 because the pilot over the age of 65, cannot do this job. The report said that the co-pilot, Mujtadeen Chughtai was inexperienced and it was his second flight.

First Officer Muntajib Ahmad was co-pilot of the Air Blue ED-202. He was ex-GD Pilot of PAF, while five hostesses — Hina Usman, Umme Habiba, Naheed Bhatti, Shazia Razzaq and Javeriya Faraz — were among the crew members.

Newly married couple — Awais Khan and Rumasa Khan, who married on July 23, 2010 and going to celebrate their honeymoon — and six members of Youth Parliament — Hassan Javed Khan (Youth Prime Minister), Syeda Rabab Zehra Naqvi (Youth Information Minister), Prem Chand (Youth Minister for Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs), Bilal Nasir Jamaee (Youth Shadow Minister for Information), Owais bin Laiq (Member Youth Parliament Standing Committee on Information) and Syed Arsalan Ahmad (Member Youth Parliament Standing Committee on Information) — were among 152 dead persons.

The last major plane crash in Pakistan was in July 2006 when a twin-engine Fokker F-27 of Pakistan International Airlines crashed on the outskirts of Multan, killing all 45 people on board.

The only previous recorded accident for Air Blue was a tail-strike in May 2008 at Quetta airport by one of the airline’s Airbus 321 jets. There were no casualties.

Source: The News

[Abbas Ali]

July 28, 2011 - Plantation of 152 trees at or near AirBlue accident memorial site located close to Daman-e-Koh at foothills of Margalla hill range near aircraft crash site. Note Faisal Mosque in the background. The trees have been planted in memory of 152 victims of this air crash. Instead of invidual names simple number tags were seen attached to these newly planted trees.

According to news reports, today from Karachi an AirBlue flight brought to Islamabad around 150 relatives/family members of flight ED-202 crash victims to attend memorial service and other events related to first anniversary of the accident.

The relatives/family members of crash victims will be flown back to Karachi by AirBlue flight later tonight.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

AirBlue message published in today's (July 28) newspapers.

"In remembrance of the crew and passengers who lost their lives on AirBlue flight ED-202 on July 28, 2010.

They remain in our thoughts and prayers.

May Allah rest their souls in eternal peace.

AirBlue staff and management share in the sorrow of the bereaved families."



Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Local news media is right, nothing significant revealed in July 28, 2011, Pakistan CAA press release titled "Interim report on first anniversary of crash of Air Blue flight ABQ-202 A321 Reg AP-BJB Pakistan on 28 July 2010 at Margalla Hills Islamabad".







Quoted below is the complete text of Pakistan CAA July 28, 2011, press release.

Dated 28th July, 2011

Press Release

Interim report on first anniversary of crash of Air Blue flight ABQ-202 A321 Reg AP-BJB Pakistan on 28 July 2010 at Margalla Hills Islamabad

Karachi 28th, 2011 - The accident investigation into the crash of Air Blue flight no. ABQ-202 was ordered by Government of Pakistan, as State of Occurrence and Registry under CARs-1994 (Civil Aviation Rules 1994) vide Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Defence, No. AT-8(2)/2010 dated 28 July 2010. Besides a team of investigators from Pakistan, various accredited representatives, advisers and experts also participated from various states involved which included BEA-France, Airbus-France, NTSB-USA, IAE-USA and BFU-Germany as per the requirements of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 Chapter 5. Necessary notifications as per ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) to all stake holders were also used.

ABQ-202 aircraft A-321, AP-BJB, on 28 July 2010, operated by AirBlue was scheduled to fly a domestic flight sector Karachi – Islamabad. The aircraft had 152 persons on board, including six crew members. Mishap aircraft took-off from Karachi at 07:41AM for Islamabad. At time 09:41AM while executing a circling approach for RWY-12 at Islamabad, it flew into Margalla Hills, and crashed at a distance of 9.6 Nautical Miles (17.77 kilometers), on a radial 334 from Islamabad VOR. The aircraft was completely destroyed and unfortunately all souls on board the aircraft sustained fatal injuries. May Allah bless their souls.

A detailed investigation by an expert team headed by President Safety Investigation Board was carried out. All aspects including internal/external sabotage, incapacitation of the aircraft systems, in flight fire, bird strike or structural fatigue, human factor, organizational factors, etc. have been adequately analyzed in the investigation.

The investigation report has been completed and submitted to the Federal Government. Pursuant to the provisions of Civil Aviation Rules and International Civil Aviation Organization Standard and Recommended Practices, the investigation report will be released on the receipt of comments from State of Manufacture and State of Design namely BEA-France (Airbus), NTSB-USA, IAE and BFU-Germany.

Pervez George
Public Relations Manager
Pakistan CAA

Abbas

[meekal ahmed]

I have never read such garbage before.

If everyone was involved (even the NTSB) as per the law, why do they need their comments now? Either the report is complete or it is not complete.

Furthermore, on another site, it says the investigation is complete and all factors have been taken into account but the cause of the accident is not known.

Really?

How is that possible? It is a contradiction in terms.