Pakistan International Airlines - PIA

While cruising in marginal weather conditions at an altitude of 9,000 feet, the airplane struck a mountain located near the Lowari Pass. Four passengers were seriously injured while 22 other occupants were killed.

The crew started the approach to Tejgaon AFB in marginal weather conditions. During the last segment, the airplane lost height and struck the runway surface. At impact, both wings were partially sheared off and the airplane came to rest. Five occupants were injured while all other occupants were unhurt. At the time of the accident, a squall line was passing over the airport with turbulences and heavy rain falls.

The aircraft was on a proving flight when an unexpected situation occurred, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing at Paksey Airstrip near Pabna. All five crew members and eight passengers (Airline's officials) were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft took off from Karachi at 14:30 GMT for a training flight. The aircraft returned to Karachi at 16:39 and took off again at 16:48 for further training. At 17:07 the crew were cleared to land. The aircraft (probably carrying out an ILS approach) was not properly lined up with the runway, so a go around was carried out. On the second time, the Viscount was seen flying very low over the runway with the engines no. 3 and 4 inoperative. During the overshoot, the Viscount yawed almost 90° to starboard, causing the right wing to strike a blast pen wall. The aircraft then crashed in flames. Two crew members were killed while the third occupants was injured. Christened 'City of Dacca', the airplane had been delivered just 5 months prior to the accident.

After touchdown on a wet runway due to monsoon, the airplane skidded, veered off runway and lost successively its undercarriage and its right wing before coming to rest in a drainage ditch. All 43 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was written off. Brand new, it was delivered four month ago.

The aircraft had landed at Palam at 1902 hours following an uneventful flight from Karachi. A thorough service check was carried out, and it was refuelled and loaded for the return flight to Karachi. The total take-off weight indicated on the load sheet was 41 589 lbs. The investigation revealed an error in the empty weight of the aircraft and the actual gross take-off weight was determined to be 41 319 lbs, which is 1 181 lbs less than the maximum permissible all-up weight. At 2018 hours the aircraft commenced its take-off run and was airborne at the latter half of the runway. Soon afterwards flames were observed at the western boundary of the airfield. The crash crew chief had watched the aircraft take-off. He saw the aircraft becoming airborne and then climbing to a height estimated by him to be 50 ft. He then noticed the landing lights pointing downwards and the aircraft losing height. He feared that a crash was imminent and immediately instructed the crew to proceed in that direction. At about this time the crash siren was sounded. The crash tender reached the site of the accident in about 7 to 8 minutes by which time the fire had reached large proportions. Fatal injuries were sustained by 4 members of the crew, 17 passengers and 2 others who were in the vicinity of the crash. Nine passengers and one other were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire.

After takeoff from Chittagong Airport, the airplane went out of control, went into a spin and crashed into the sea four km off the Charlakhi Island. All 24 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with thunderstorm activity.

The aircraft took off at 0820 hours West Pakistan Standard Time from Chaklala aerodrome on a charter flight to Gilgit. After landing at 1014 hours at Gilgit, the captain advised the passengers and ground staff that he would not carry passengers on the return flight due to the very bad weather conditions en route. At 1400, AP-ACZ departed Gilgit on the return flight and at 1410 was in wireless telegraphy communication with Gilgit aerodrome. At 1421, Chaklala passed on to the aircraft the latest MET observation and the transmission was acknowledged. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft until 1454 when the following SOS was picked up by the ground stations and two other aircraft: 'SOS APACZ INDUS mouth position trapped in bad weather, Indus mouth. Chaklala aerodrome acknowledged the SOS but failed to contact the aircraft. The flight crashed on the peak of Lash Golath mountain at a height of approximately 14,000 to 15,000 feet. All three crew members, the sole occupants, were killed.