On January 2, 2023, an aircraft (registration AP-ZBQ) operated by SHAHEEN AIR FLYING TRAINING was involved in an aviation accident near FAISALABAD, PK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: 3.1.1 The mishap flight was a routine training flight of Shaheen Air Flying Training School, Faisalabad. This summary draws on records from the Safety Investigation Board of Pakistan (SIB/BASI).
On 24 February 2017, a Cessna 162 (AP-ZBQ) crashed at Faisalabad during a training flight after an engine problem. Both occupants were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed.
Accident overview and investigation scope On 24 February 2017, a Cessna 162 registered AP-ZBQ operated by Shaheen Air Flying Training School (SAFTS) crashed at Faisalabad Airport during a routine training flight. The accident was reported to the Safety Investigation Board (SIB), Pakistan, by the Airport Manager of CAA Faisalabad Airport and the General Manager Operations of SAFTS, and the investigation was conducted in accordance with ICAO Annex-13 and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Pakistan Rules 1994. The stated objective of the investigation was the prevention of future accidents and incidents, not the apportionment of blame or liability. ## Flight history and personnel The aircraft, which had a seating capacity of two, carried an instructor pilot in the right seat and a student pilot in the left seat. The instructor was the Chief Flying Instructor at SAFTS, while the student pilot had completed Private Pilot License (PPL) training and was flying a PPL initial issue check. The instructor had flown three hours of instructional/training flight on the same aircraft earlier that day. According to the report, start-up, taxi-out, and line-up on runway 03 were normal. The crew obtained takeoff clearance after performing necessary checks, and the aircraft rolled for takeoff at 0738 UTC. The aircraft climbed to 575 feet above ground level and then developed an engine problem leading to a loss of power. No radio call was exchanged during the event. The aircraft was observed turning right to land back on the runway; during the turn it entered a steep dive and impacted the ground in a steep nose-low attitude. Recorded data indicated that just before impact, the engine had picked up to full power. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries, and there was no damage to property on the ground. ## Aircraft, engine, and propeller information The aircraft was a Cessna 162 with registration AP-ZBQ and manufacturer serial number 16200235. It was manufactured on 21 November 2013. The certificate of airworthiness (S No. 004, Special Light Sport) expired on 15 June 2017. A maintenance review was performed on 10 November 2016 at 883:45 hours, with an expiry date of 9 May 2017. A daily inspection was carried out on 24 February 2017 at SAFTS, Faisalabad. The total aircraft hours prior to the occurrence were 1051:30. The last inspection was a 50-hour/6-month inspection at 1043:15 hours on 21 February 2017 at the SAFTS, Faisalabad maintenance hangar. The engine was a Teledyne Continental Motors Inc. O-200-DIB, serial number 1003611, manufactured on 9 March 2011. It had 1051:30 total hours flown and had been installed on AP-ZBQ on 21 November 2013. The time between overhauls was 2000 hours/12 years. The last engine inspection was the same 50-hour/6-month inspection on 21 February 2017. The propeller was a McCauley Propeller Systems 1L100LSA6754, serial number AGB01012, manufactured on 4 April 2012. It also had 1051:30 total hours flown and had been installed on 21 November 2013. The time between overhauls was 2000 hours/72 months. The last propeller inspection was likewise the 50-hour/6-month inspection on 21 February 2017. The aircraft, engine, and propeller were assembled in February 2015 before the start of training operations at SAFTS, Faisalabad. ## Meteorological, navigation, and communications The report lists meteorological information for the time of occurrence, though it contains a date discrepancy (stating 24th August, 2017 in one place). The weather at Faisalabad Airport included haze, visibility of 7 km, no significant clouds (NSC), wind from the northwest at 6 knots, temperature 250 C, and QNH 1020. The aircraft was equipped with serviceable ADF, VOR/DME, ILS, and GPS equipment. All ground equipment at Faisalabad Airport related to ADF, VOR/DME, and ILS was found serviceable at the time of the occurrence. The aircraft was also equipped with UHF and VHF sets for radio contact. ## Flight recorders, fire, and bird strike The aircraft was not equipped with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). However, some flight parameters were recorded on a Garmin-100 equipment memory card installed in the cockpit with PFD/MFD. The memory card was recovered from the wreckage in a slightly de-shaped form and sent to NTSB (ACCREP), where it was successfully downloaded. The downloaded data was used to reconstruct the flight profile along with engine parameters. There was no evidence of pre-impact, in-flight, or post-impact fire. A thorough examination of the wreckage found no signs of bird strike to any part of the engine or aircraft, ruling out the possibility of a bird strike. ## ATC and crew resource management ATC Tower Tape Extracts were retrieved and analyzed but did not reveal useful information because no communication took place during the emergency. Most likely, at the time of the occurrence, the student pilot was the Pilot Flying (PF) and the instructor was the Pilot Monitoring (PM).