AirBlue jet down in Islamabad

[FULLTHRUST]

It is worth mentioning here that just two months before the tragic accident, he was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital on account of serious health issues including uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems, Murad said.

Regarding medical fitness of pilots, the Standard 6.3.2.1 of Annex 1 (Personnel Licensing) says that the pilot should not suffer from any disease or disability that could hamper the pilot’s ability to operate an aircraft safely.

In addition, pilot with insulin-treated and non-insulin-treated diabetes mellitus are assessed as unfit. “How did the CAA issue him licence then?” asked the lawyer.

The lawyer has pointed out some serious issues. Clearly, I am not commenting on what the fact is or not regarding pilot's health, the lawyer is challenging all those people who are office bearers at CAA flight standards, safety investigation board, aero medical, air blue flight safety (if any).

someone in agha khan hosp. can dig this out?

[meekal ahmed]

These claims and counter-claims will go on as long as the report remains buried.

We don't even know the pilot's age. Some say 62 and others say 67 which would put him two years above the new international norm.

So, how old was he? How much flight-time did he have on an Airbus?

He MUST have been certified fit to fly. HOW that certificate was granted no one knows. There seems to be little faith in the CAA in discharging any and all its responsibilities.

The CAA needs to be independent and autonomous and not an attached subordinate department of the MOD. But the country is full of such instances. The Competition Commission, Tariff Commission, Statistics Division, Securities and Exchange Commission, FBR and others need to be autonomous with their own budgets and own pay-scales so that they can attract the best talent and not dead-beats.

[Abbas Ali]

Capt. Pervez Iqbal Chaudhry was born on December 27, 1948, making him less than 62 years old on July 28, 2010, the day on which AirBlue Airbus A321 crashed into Margalla Hills.

He was within legal age limit for flying passenger airliner.

In his 40 years long career he had accumulated close to 26000 flying hours.

On Airbus A320 family aircraft he had accumulated over 1100 flying hours.

Aside from being borderline diabetic; he kept that in control with diet and exercise, he was in the best of health.

In May 2010 he had suffered from appendicitis and was treated for it at Aga Khan University Hospital and took a month and a half off from flying to recover fully from it.

He returned to flying on 16th June 2010 after getting full medical clearance from Pakistan CAA.

Abbas

[meekal ahmed]

Thanks you for this information Abbas.

I wish our so-called aviation reporters (in this case quoting a lawyer) would stop sensationalizing and stick to reporting the facts.

[Abbas Ali]

Airblue plane crash PHC asks defence ministry to submit probe report by Oct 6

PESHAWAR, Sept 14: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday took exception to the non-submission of the inquiry report of the last year’s Airblue plane crash and directed the ministry of defence to submit the report before the next hearing on Oct 6.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth asked Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Mohammad Iqbal Mohmand to inform the ministry of defence to ensure submission of the plane crash inquiry report by the given date.

The Airblue flight ED 202 had crashed into Margalla hills on July 28, 2010, killing all the 146 passengers and six crew members on board.

The chief justice asked the DAG for how long such inquiry reports of public importance would be concealed from the people. He observed that under Article 19A of the Constitution every citizen had the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance.

The bench was hearing a writ petition former MNA Marvi Memon had filed on behalf of the family members of the crash victims, urging the court to direct the federal government for constituting an independent board of inquiry to determine and make public the cause of the crash.

Advocate Umer Farooq Adam appeared for the petitioner and contended that in the last hearing the court had directed the government to submit the report of the inquiry conducted after the air crash.

He stated that they had learnt that the defence ministry had received the inquiry report, but it was using delaying tactics to make it public. Referring to a communication of the ministry of defence, Mr Mohmand stated that they had received the inquiry report, but had sought certain explanations from the manufacturing company and thus it could not be made public for the time being.

Mr Adam contended that despite the passage of over a year the relatives of the deceased persons had yet to know about the cause of the accident.

The respondents in the petition are: the Federation of Pakistan, Ministry of Defence, National Disaster Management Commission, National Disaster Management Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Capital Development Authority and the Airblue.

The petitioner has contended that like in the other previous plane crashes the families of victims had not been taken on board about the progress of investigations.

She also stated that the Capital Development Authority should erect a memorial for the passengers buried in H-11/2 Islamabad graveyard and make easy the identification of each grave to the satisfaction of the families of victims.

Source: DAWN

[meekal ahmed]

Thanks for this up-date Abbas.

I don't like the idea of an "independent" report which will just be a waste of time and I have argued this with the survivor's group but some of it's members cling to this idea (as well as that Air Blue should be grounded).

We have a report and it should be published -- even if it is a preliminary one and, as someone suggested, without -- incredibly in my view -- assigning a Probable Cause.

I did some hunting around and found that not being able to arrive at a Probable Cause is not completely unprecetended. That happened in the case of the Flash Airlines Flight 604 in Eqypt and also the Adam Air Flight 574 in Indonesia. No one is still quite sure whether the Silk Air Flight 185 was pilot suicide or not. Finally, it took ten agonizing years before the NTSB came up with the cause of the accidents to United Flight 585 and USAir Flight 427 -- rudder hard-over and rudder-reversal.

So, I suppose we may not have a definitive cause here as well. But let everyone see the report because suspicions of a cover-up run high.

[Abbas Ali]

Thanks for this up-date Abbas.

You're welcome Meekal.

Let's see what sort of action will be taken by Peshawar High Court if authorities don't follow court orders.

I would like to see tough court order for release of report to news media and general public.

Abbas

[meekal ahmed]

Well, this government has not taken court orders very seriously. That is contempt but nothing happens.

[Abbas Ali]

A letter to editor of English daily 'The News' with some interesting information.

Let justice be done

Monday, September 19, 2011

This is with reference to the news that the Peshawar High Court has taken a serious note of the ministry of defence’s failure to submit the investigation report of the Airblue crash, and has directed it to submit the same by October 6, 2011. I feel that the relevant authorities have deliberately adopted delaying tactics to give maximum time to the operator to intimidate the bereaved families. This is evident from the fact that the Sindh High Court had given orders in October 2010 to complete the investigation in two months and submit the report; the Peshawar High Court ordered the same in April 2011 and the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights ordered the relevant authorities on June 29 to submit the investigation report. But so far the authorities have avoided complying on one pretext or the other. On the other hand, the airline’s management is approaching the crash victims’ families, which are not aware of their rights, and persuading them to accept the meagre compensation offered by the airline. They are harassing the families by saying that if they do not accept the offered amount, they will not get any compensation at all. If a bereaved family accepts the offered amount, the airline or its agents make it sign a document, which stops it from pursuing the matter further against any organisation associated with the aircraft anywhere in the world. Thus the authorities are facilitating the operator and the regulator in hiding their criminal negligence and enabling them to pacify the affected families.

The courts should ensure that their decisions are implemented without any further delay and the bereaved families are not harassed by the operator or its agents. They should have full liberty to exercise their legal rights with regard to the compensation.

Shamim Shaikh
Islamabad

Source: The News

Abbas

[meekal ahmed]

God willing we will get somewhere. It would be a wonderful precedent with huge implications for air safety.

[meekal ahmed]

I felt a bit sad and ashamed today when a friend sent me the full accident report of the Air India Express 737-800 crash at Manglore. Apart from a little bit of Indian-English here and there, I was impressed by the report's professionalism and the breath of safety recommendations.

Someone asked me in connection with the Air Blue crash why an experienced pilot would ignore GPWS call-out's. That person should read this report. Coming in hot and high with a SINK RATE warning followed by a repeated PULL UP he still tried to land. His co-pilot asked him THREE times to Go-Around. 156 people died.

[Cyrus]

Mr. Meekal, this question has been asked by 156 ^ 12 people over the course of the last year. Don't think we will ever know the answer. May I ask why you were sad and ashamed?

[meekal ahmed]

ashamed of my country which has never published a report in 63 years.

[Cyrus]

Well, sad to say, that is the MO. I do feel your pain.

[FULLTHRUST]

Well, sad to say, that is the MO. I do feel your pain.

If I recall your words on one of the posts ----- regarding Qais shooting down an Indian plane!!!

"Nonetheless, the unfortunate part in all this is that I had to execute the orders of my controller"

I recall a similar defense approach made at the Nuremberg trials. Didn't work there either.

I also feel your pain!!! Cyrus!!