What happened
During the final approach phase toward Quetta, the flight crew encountered a mechanical issue where the nose landing gear failed to extend from the wheel well. After realizing the gear remained retracted, the captain executed a go-around procedure. Following this maneuver, the decision was made to divert the flight back to Karachi Intl Airport.
Despite multiple manual efforts by the crew to deploy the nose gear, the component stayed stuck in its housing. The crew ultimately proceeded with an emergency landing while the aircraft remained in a nose gear-up configuration. As the plane touched down, the nose of the aircraft made contact with the runway, causing the plane to slide forward for several hundred yards before coming to a complete stop.
Although the aircraft sustained damage that was later determined to be beyond repair, there were no casualties. All 79 occupants on board successfully evacuated the scene without any reported injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the incident focused on the mechanical failure of the nose gear assembly. The primary factor identified was the failure of the nose gear to extend, which remained trapped within the wheel well throughout the approach and landing sequence.