Synopsis
On 20 April 2012, Bhoja Air Flight BHO-213, a Boeing 737-236A (registration AP-BKC), was scheduled to operate a domestic service from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, to Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIAP), Islamabad. The aircraft departed Karachi at 1705 hours Pakistan Standard Time with 127 persons on board, including 6 flight crew. The reported weather at Islamabad included thunderstorms and gusty winds.
History of the Flight
The aircraft was serviceable and had flown two earlier sectors that day without reported defects. It was serviced at Karachi and cleared for the flight. The flight proceeded en route without operational or maintenance abnormalities until intercepting the final approach. During the approach to BBIAP, the flight was cleared by Islamabad Approach Radar for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 30. While established on the ILS at 6 nautical miles from touchdown, the crew was instructed to contact the ATC Tower for final landing clearance. The crew switched frequencies and received a landing clearance, but did not respond. The tower repeated the clearance without response. Shortly after, a local resident reported that an aircraft had crashed near Hussain Abad, approximately 4 nautical miles short of Runway 30. The accident resulted in fatal injuries to all 127 occupants and complete destruction of the aircraft.
Injuries and Damage
All 127 persons (121 passengers and 6 flight crew) sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed. Minor damage occurred to houses and wheat crops in the impact area, later compensated by Bhoja Air.
Crew Information
The cockpit crew consisted of a Captain and a First Officer. The Captain held an Airline Transport Pilot License, had a total flying experience of 10,158 hours, including 2,027 hours on the Boeing 737-200 and 82.5 hours on the Boeing 737-236A. The First Officer held a Commercial Pilot License, with 2,832 total flying hours, including 750 hours on the 737-200 and 82 hours on the 737-236A. Both had valid medical certificates and Crew Resource Management refreshers.
Aircraft Information
The Boeing 737-236A (serial number 23167) was manufactured in 1985 and inducted into Bhoja Air in January 2012. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 46,933.06 flight hours and 37,824 cycles. The engines were two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15A turbofans (left: serial 700469, right: serial 709211). No defects were recorded during the daily inspection on the day of the accident, and no anomalies were reported before impact.
Meteorological Conditions
The weather forecast for 20 April 2012 included cloudy conditions with thunderstorms and rain. A weather warning was issued at 1430 hours, initially valid from 1500 to 1800, later extended. It specified 1-2 octas cumulonimbus at or above 2,500 feet AGL, reducing visibility from 3 to 1 km or less in precipitation, and winds of 20-40 knots, gusting to 65 knots or more.
Navigation and Communication
The aircraft was equipped with serviceable ADF, VOR/DME, ILS, and GPS. Ground-based navigation aids at BBIAP were serviceable. The aircraft had two VHF and one HF radio. Communication facilities at the airport were available.
Impact and Wreckage
The main wreckage was located 4.2 nautical miles short of Runway 30, near the village of Hussain Abad, on undulating agricultural terrain. The main landing gear was extended and struck the ground first, followed by structural disintegration upon impact with a steep terrace approximately 5 meters high. The wreckage was confined to an area of 1,400 feet by 446 feet.
Fire
No pre-impact in-flight fire was reported or observed. Post-impact ground fire occurred at the crash site.
Flight Recorder Data
The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) were recovered and sent to the NTSB in the United States for analysis. The recorders had moderate impact damage, but data were successfully downloaded. The CVR contained approximately 30 minutes of recording, which was used to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Medical and Pathological Information
The bodies of the Captain and First Officer were identified by family members or DNA profiling. Post-mortems were not conducted on the Captain at the request of legal heirs; the First Officer underwent autopsy. The remains of passengers were identified through personal effects or DNA analysis.
Other Damages
Minor damage to houses and wheat crops was compensated by Bhoja Air.