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AirBlue Commercial Aircraft Crashes in Islamabad

Phone numbers for inquiry regarding the crash are:

Local: 051-9211223 – 051-9211224.

International: 009251 9211223 – 0092519211224.
 
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In the next 24 hours, Heavy rainfall is expected at crash site. Let's hope they wrap up the rescue operation before that.
 
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Somebody should call up geo and spit out a few paragraphs of ****** language for their animation. CNN, BBC.. all are criticizing them for showing such a pathetic view.

These idiots even show animation of bomb blasts as we really wanted to see that.:angry:
 
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The Airblue website now has a message about the crash - Airblue

Airblue, with great sadness, announces the loss of flight ED 202 inbound from Karachi to Islamabad. The flight crashed during poor weather and thick fog.

We regret the loss of life and are investigating the exact circumstances of this tragedy.
This will be presented as soon as possible.

Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew.
All information regarding the passengers on the flight may be obtained at
the following dedicated number: 111 247 258
 
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انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون
 
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Interior Minister Rahman Malik created an investigating committee for the crash.
 
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May the dead RIP and hope more people make it out alive InshAllah
 
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My Sympathies and great sorrow for All Family Members, Relative and Friend of the plane crash victims – passengers (adult – kids) and crew members.

May Allah grant the departed souls a place in Jannah and Sabar to the families of plane crash victims. Ameen
 
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i cant help understand what was that plane doing near margalla hills.

planes landing at Islamabad International usually approach from south, but if the wind doesnt favour, planes are asked to land from north. This is what might have happened during this tragic incident, plane was descending from south and while at around 1500 ft decided to go round.......while going round it had o circle above margalla hills......and during that circling, it would have gone down........why did it go down can only be answered with the help of black box...........exactly when the plane was crashing...i was so so near to margalla hills, but i can not recall hearing any special or desastorous sounds.....one person in my house heard huge jet engine sound trying to accelerate........

smoke is still seen rising from the site.....helicopters ae held back as they were fuming the fire....unfortunately our nation is not equipped to dael with these tragic accidents in a professional manner...

lets hope to have survivors

May God Forgive us ALL
 
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---------- Post added at 02:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:40 PM ----------

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Bad weather was not the reason for this crash, it is due to technical problem.
No it was no technical fault... flight flew from Karachi and was ready to land.... and was denied landing at Islamabad airport, while another PIA flight immediately followed which was allowed landing.
The only technical issue i see is that Rawalpindi airport is not suitable to handel the heavy air traffic and does not meet the quality requirements of a safe airport.
It was criminal on part of govt. to delay the construction of Gandhara airport.
It is sabotage or negligence on part of CAA... thanks to the political hiring another institute showing signs of crumbling.
I have said it once before that Pakistan airports look look like political office of PPP, every where we have posters of zardari family and lot of employees hanging free wearing PPP badges.
Couple of months back i objected an immigraiton officer for wearing PPP badge and he reacted very rudely.

Interior Minister Rahman Malik created an investigating committee for the crash.
He him self should be the prime suspect.
Investigation should be lead by UN team.
 
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in the guardian they say around 25 dead. this is so sad, hope there are more survivors.
 
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Pilot fatigue may be the reason behind crash: PALPA
Upadated on: 28 Jul 10 02:43 PM


ISLAMABAD: “The incident may be attributed to the pilot’s fatigue,” said President PALPA Captain Sohail Baloch. “The pilot may be suffering from accumulated fatigue because they are not given adequate leaves.”

At least 45 people were killed and several injured when a passenger plane, carrying 152 passengers crashed having collided with the Margalla Hills near Pir Sohawa, a mountainous range behind Shah Faisal Mosque, SAMAA reported Wednesday.

Captain Sohail Baloch said that the route was not a no-fly zone, as speculated. The plane exceeded the safety distance due to bad weather. This decision was, again, taken by the pilot who couldn't determine appropriate landing route. The ISL system's access ends a little before Islamabad and the pilot had to resort to visual queues for landing.

There could be other reasons to the crash, which will only be uncovered after the investigation is complete.

Airport sources said the Air Blue flight ED-202 took off at 7:50am from Karachi to Islamabad and crashed at 9:50 a.m. It lost communication with the control tower due to bad weather.

"So far, rescue people have recovered at least 45 dead bodies," said Civil Development Authority (CDA) officials.

"Five people have been rescued but they are injured," said Federal Minister Rehman Malik.

Deceased and injured have been shifted to PIMS hospital, said rescue sources.

Rehman Malik said that one part of the plane fell onto the mountain and the other into an abyss, where the rescue team is trying to go through helicopters.

"The operation will take about 3 hours to complete," said Malik.

“The cause of the incident is not known so far,” said Saeed Hasan spokesperson Airblue. “None of the scheduled flights have been cancelled”.

PIA spokesperson asked the passengers' relatives to reach Karachi Airport by 4:00 p.m.

"The seats to the relatives will be provided on the basis of availability," said PIA spokesperson.

Eyewitnesses said people noticed airbus flying at very low altitude near Daman-e-Koh this morning and have crashed due to rough weather.

"There were 146 passengers and six crewmen on board, we are gathering investigation of the incident", said Civil Aviation spokesman Pervez George.

Thick clouds of smoke were witnessed rising from the Margalla Hills.

An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set up a six-member investigative team, headed by Air Commodore Khwaja Majeed to probe the incident.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered a rescue operation and expressed grief over this tragic incident.

The Cabinet has announced one-day mourning over the incident.

The passengers' relatives can call on the given numbers for any query: 021-99071385, 051-903132.

AGENCIES ADD: A commercial passenger plane with 152 people on board crashed in bad weather in hills near Islamabad on Wednesday, and police said they expected few had survived.

At least 20 people were confirmed dead when the Airbus 321, belonging to private airline Airblue, crashed in heavy rain while flying from Karachi. Rescue efforts are continuing, officials said.

Five survivors were pulled from the wreckage and sent to nearby hospitals, said Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the state-run Capital Development Authority, a municipal body.

Rescuers said they had to dig through the rubble with their bare hands, with fire and thick smoke hampering their work. The crash site, on a steep and heavily wooded hill, has no roads, limiting access to pedestrians and aircraft.

"Dead bodies are lying all around and very few might have survived in the accident," Bin Yameen, a senior police official of Islamabad said.

"Bodies are being lifted through helicopters."

The plane lost contact with the control room of the Islamabad International Airport at 0443 GMT. It was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members.

Bin Yameen said a woman was alive at the scene and crying for help.

"I could hear her cries from the woods. Rescue workers are trying to save her," he told Reuters from the scene of the crash.

A thick blanket of cloud and smoke caused by fire could be seen rising from the crash site. A helicopter hovered overhead and flames licked at trees and what appeared to be wreckage from the plane, television pictures showed.

"We are removing wreckage with our hands. There is fire. There's smoke, which has made the rescue job very difficult," Bin Yameen said.

The crash site is on the Margalla Hills facing Islamabad, about 300 meters (yards) up the side of the hills. Smoke was visible from some districts of the city, and crowds of onlookers lined the streets pointing and watching the smoke rise from the green hills.

"It was raining. I saw the plane flying very low from the window of my office," witness Khadim Hussain said.

Rescue workers were making their way on foot to the crash site with some difficulty. A young man was weeping and being embraced by another man.

The military said it had sent three helicopters to the site and troops had also been moved there.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani ordered authorities to control the fire immediately and rescue passengers.

HEAVY RAINS

There had been heavy monsoon rains in the area for at least a couple of days.

Airblue began operations in 2004 with a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.

Spokesman Raheel Ahmed said this was the first crash for the airline.

Airbus confirmed one of its planes was involved in the Airblue crash.

"We regret to confirm there has been an accident with an Airbus aircraft and we will provide more information when we have more confirmed data available," said Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath.

At Islamabad's international airport, passengers in the departure lounge scanned the television screens for news.

"I'm not surprised something like this has happened," said Ahmed Fairuz, a passenger awaiting departure. "The weather is just too bad for flying."

Aviation industry sources in Europe said the aircraft was leased from International Lease Finance Corp, the leasing unit of U.S. insurance giant AIG

Los Angeles-based ILFC was not available for comment and there was no immediate confirmation of these details.

The A321 is the largest of the A320 family of single-aisle jets produced by EADS subsidiary Airbus. This particular type of aircraft, which can seat up to 185 passengers, has been in service since 1994.

Forty-five people were killed when a passenger plane belonging to Pakistan International Airlines crashed near the central city of Multan in 2006. SAMAA/AGENCIES


.:: SAMAA - Pilot fatigue may be the reason behind crash: PALPA
 
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