History of the Flight
PIA flight 588 was a scheduled passenger service operated by an ATR 72-500 aircraft, registration AP-BKZ, on 25 December 2017. The flight departed from Bahawalpur Airport at 0840 UTC and landed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIAP), Islamabad at 1010 UTC. Takeoff, departure, and en route phases were uneventful.
After landing, a cabin crew member seated at the aft jump seat reported hearing an unusual noise during the landing rollout. A subsequent post-flight inspection by maintenance personnel revealed a half-inch scratch on the tail boot. The observation, combined with the crew report, led to the determination that a tail strike had occurred.
Injuries and Damage
No injuries were reported among crew or passengers. The only damage to the aircraft was a half-inch scratch on the tail boot; no other damage was found.
Personnel Information
The captain, born 29 January 1971, held an Air Transport Pilot License and had accumulated 4,565 total flight hours, including 486 hours as captain on the ATR 72-500. The first officer, born 1 January 1988, held a Commercial Pilot License with 509 total flight hours. Both pilots had valid medical certificates and had completed recent simulator training.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was an ATR 72-500, manufacturer serial number 1029, manufactured in 2012. It was inducted into PIA service on 11 April 2015.
Meteorological Information
At the time of the incident, weather at BBIAP, Islamabad was hazy with visibility of 6 km, few clouds at 20,000 ft, and a headwind of 12 kts. No significant weather was reported.
Navigation and Communications
Navigational aids at both airports were operational with no abnormalities reported. Communications were normal throughout the flight.
Aerodrome Information
The landing occurred at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad. Runway characteristics, including physical dimensions and lighting, are detailed in the investigation report.
Flight Recorders
Flight data monitoring analysis indicated exceedances during the landing, which were consistent with a tail strike event.
Analysis
The analysis in the investigation report covered aircraft loading, crew qualification, approach variation, touchdown, and runway gradient. The report noted that the runway 30 at BBIAP has a downslope gradient, which was calculated and considered in the analysis.
Conclusions and Cause
The investigation concluded that a tail strike occurred during landing. The report listed findings and a stated cause of occurrence, but the specific cause wording is not reproduced here to comply with grounding rules.
Safety Recommendations
Safety recommendations were issued to Pakistan International Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of Pakistan.