Accident Overview
On 10 July 2006, a Fokker F-27 aircraft registered as AP-BAL, operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), was scheduled to fly from Multan to Lahore. The aircraft carried 45 souls on board, including four crew members. The captain was Captain Hamid Qureshi. The flight departed from Multan Runway 36 at 1205 hours Pakistan Standard Time (PST).
Sequence of Events
Shortly after takeoff, air traffic control and eyewitnesses observed the aircraft maintaining a very low altitude and drifting right in a bank. ATC repeatedly attempted to establish contact with the aircraft, but no contact was made. Subsequently, a local resident reported that an aircraft had crashed approximately 2 kilometers northeast of the runway. All individuals on board sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was completely destroyed by fire.
Official Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the accident involved a failure of the right engine turbine, resulting in engine failure. The failure occurred due to improper assembly during overhaul. The quality control system of PIA Engineering was found to be ineffective in detecting the weaknesses. Additionally, the accident was attributed to improper handling of the emergency by the aircrew, which reflected inadequacies in PIA's Training, Assessment, and Scheduling System. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Airworthiness department was also noted to have responsibilities in regulating and monitoring the quality control system at PIA Engineering.