What happened
On 28 September 1992, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268, a Boeing 747, departed from Karachi, Pakistan, for a non-stop flight to Kathmandu, Nepal. The flight proceeded without incident through Pakistani and Indian airspace. At approximately 08:25 UTC, the crew established radio contact with Kathmandu Area Control West and received instructions to proceed toward the Simara non-directional beacon, maintaining a flight level of 150.
As the aircraft approached the Kathmandu area, the crew received clearance to descend to 11,500 feet while proceeding toward the Sierra waypoint. By 08:40 UTC, the crew had transitioned to the Kathmandu Tower frequency and reported that they were intercepting the final approach track for Runway 02. The controller provided instructions for the Sierra approach, requesting the crew to report their position at 16 DME and later at 10 DME.
During the descent, the first officer reported passing through 8,500 feet. The tower controller cleared the aircraft for the final approach, instructing the crew to report at 4 DME. Shortly after the crew confirmed their position at 10 DME, the aircraft struck a cloud-obscured mountainside at an altitude of 7,280 feet. The impact occurred approximately 9.16 nautical miles from the KTM VOR. The accident resulted in 167 fatalities, with no survivors.
Findings
- The aircraft struck terrain while performing an instrument approach in mountainous, cloud-covered conditions.
- The aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude while navigating the approach track.