Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Parachinar: 34 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1988 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kabul - Jalalabad
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
30
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
34
Circumstances:
En route from Kabul to Jalalabad, the crew encountered technical problems and the aircraft entered the Pakistan airspace without any clearance. It is believed that the AN-26 was shot down by the pilot of a Pakistan Air Force fighter and later crashed near Parachinar. The wreckage was found the following morning and all 34 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in Bahawalpur: 30 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1988 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
23494
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bahawalpur - Islamabad
MSN:
3708
YOM:
1962
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
30
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bahawalpur Airport, while in initial climb, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed 7 km from the airport. All 30 occupants were killed, among them Muhammad Zia Ul-Haq, President of the Republic of Pakistan, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Akhtar Abdur Rahman, Brigadier Siddique Salik, several high ranking officers of the Pakistan Army and also the American Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel. They were returning to Islamabad following a US M1 Abrams tank demonstration in Bahawalpur.
Probable cause:
Due to the presence of officials on board, it was believed that the accident was the consequence of sabotage but this could not be proven. About 20 years later, in 2008, the British newspaper 'The Times' reported that, back in 1988, an analysis conducted by a US laboratory found 'extensive contamination' by brass and aluminium particles in the elevator booster package. This may have caused sluggish controls leading to overcontrol. This in turn may have led to the pilots losing control at low altitude soon after takeoff. Nevertheless, the exact cause of the accident remains unclear.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Parachinar: 40 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1987 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kabul - Khost
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
36
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
40
Circumstances:
En route from Kabul to Khost and flying along the border, the aircraft was shot down by an air-air missile fired by the pilot of a Pakistan Air Force General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The AN-26 entered a dive and crashed in an open field. All 40 occupants were killed, among them civilians.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an air-air missile.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Peshawar: 13 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1986 at 2049 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AUX
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lahore - Peshawar
MSN:
10335
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
49
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Aircraft flight hours:
39732
Aircraft flight cycles:
45472
Circumstances:
The descent to Peshawar Airport was completed in limited visibility caused by night. The copilot was in command when on final approach to runway 35, he descended below the MDA until the aircraft struck a dyke and crashed upside down about 10 km short of runway. 13 occupants were killed and 41 other were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the copilot was under a route check at the time of the accident and failed to initiate a go around procedure as he continued the approach below MDA. On his side, the captain was distracted from monitoring the altitude and failed to correctly supervise the copilot actions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B near Nawabshah: 24 killed

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-10232
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Aden - Karachi - Tashkent
MSN:
3 3 411 07
YOM:
1963
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
24
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft was completing a military/cargo flight from Aden to Tashkent with an intermediate stop in Karachi. On the leg from Karachi to Tashkent, while cruising at an altitude of 5,500 meters, weather conditions deteriorated and the aircraft entered an area of hailstorm with severe turbulences. All four engine lost power and the crew was forced to shut down the engine n°1 and 3 while the engine n°2 and 4 were reduced to idle. The crew then initiated an emergency descent when the aircraft partially disintegrated in the air and crashed. It was determined that excessive g-loads caused several parts to detach during the emergency descent.
Probable cause:
It was determined that all four engines lost power in-flight after hail accumulated in the oil tanks.

Crash of a Cessna 421B Golden Eagle II in Mankera: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1984
Registration:
AP-AYQ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Quetta – Dera Ismail Khan
MSN:
421B-0899
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane was completing a flight from Quetta to Dera Ismail Khan when it crashed under unknown circumstances in Mankera, Punjab. The pilot and two passengers were killed while a third passenger survived, Sardar Farooq Shaukat Khan Lodhi, Governor of the Province of Baluchistan.

Crash of a Boeing 747-121 in Karachi

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1983 at 0438 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N738PA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
New Delhi – Karachi – London – New York
MSN:
19645
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
PA073
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
16
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
227
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
53324
Circumstances:
Flight PA073 was cleared to land on runway 25R of Karachi International Airport (KHI), Pakistan. The approach speed just prior to touchdown was 152 knots. After touchdown reverse thrust was applied on engines n°1, 2 and 3. Engine No.4 which had an unserviceable reverser was left in forward idle. Seventy knots was called and some three seconds later reverse power was decreased. At this stage EPR on n°4 engine increased rapidly. The aircraft veered to the left of the centerline at about 7400 feet from the approach end of runway 25R and departed the runway edge at 8000 feet from the approach end of runway 25R with 2,500 feet of runway remaining. Shortly before the aircraft departed the runway, the pilot flying (copilot) reported that he had no brakes and no nose wheel steering. The captain stated that he got on the brakes and tiller at this time to assist. After departing the runway surface the aircraft travelled 380 feet through soft mud before it came to rest at a point about 2100 feet from the end of runway 25R, heading about 160 degrees on the Southern side of the runway with the tail of the aircraft 120 feet from the runway edge. Shortly after the aircraft departed the runway, the nose gear struck a VASI light installation and its concrete base causing the nose gear to collapse backwards and to the left, resulting in total destruction of the VASI light installation and damage to the forward cargo hold, floor of the first class section and the stairway leading to the upper deck. Damage to the aircraft was substantial and it was not repaired. All 243 occupants evacuated safely.
Source: ASN
Probable cause:
Loss of directional control as the result of inadvertent application of forward thrust on n°4 engine at the time the pilot flying was coming out of reverse thrust on engines n°1, 2 and 3 during the landing roll, and subsequent failure of the crew to recognize the asymmetric power condition. Contributing were failure of the crew to monitor the engines, and failure to follow specified procedures during the landing.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Gilgit

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AXF
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gilgit - Gilgit
MSN:
10354
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
25451
Aircraft flight cycles:
33931
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Gilgit Airport, completing touch-and-goes. After touchdown, at a speed of 90 knots, the pilot-in-command decided to abandon the takeoff procedure for unknown reasons and initiated an emergency braking maneuver. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The takeoff was aborted at a speed of 90 knots with a V1 speed fixed at 96 knots.

Crash of a Boeing 720-047B in Karachi

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AXK
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Karachi - Quetta
MSN:
48590/339
YOM:
1963
Flight number:
PK320
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
72
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Quetta, the crew was unable to lower the nose gear that remained stuck in its wheel well. The captain initiated a go-around and decided to return to Karachi Intl Airport. Despite several manual attempts to lower the gear, the crew eventually decided to land in a nose gear-up configuration. Upon touchdown, the airplane slid on its nose for few hundred yards before coming to rest. All 79 occupants escaped without injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the nose gear that remained stuck in its wheel well for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-A80 Queen Air in Karachi

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
G-BDKG
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
LD-194
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Karachi-Quaid-e-Azam Airport following a delivery flight from UK. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.