What: PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 747-300 en route from Karachi to Lahore Where: Karachi When: Sep 10th 2010 Who: 480 passengers Why: While en route, the plane’s engine ingested a bird.
The pilot returned the plane to Karachi where it made a safe landing. Passengers were provided an alternative flight at 8 pm
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What: Air France Airbus A340-300 en route from Caracas Venezuela to Paris Where: NW of Point A Pitre Guadeloupe When: Jul 22nd 2011 Why: In an experience that is being compared to Air France Flight 447, in night/instrument conditions, the AF Airbus flew through turbulence (reported by pilots, not on METAR) at 35,000 feet, accelerated (to 0.66 mach), and autopilot quit. Pitch attitude increased to 11 degrees and decelerated. Turbulence reduced, and pilots were able to level off and return the flight to normal parameters.
Hopefully the events of this flight will inform us of what is going on in the Airbus at high altitude
In George’s Point of View
Perhaps this flight recapitulates the events of Air France 447. It certainly seems to. Because of what history shows us, I wonder if there was a repeat of faulty input from the pitot tubes. The pilots, in this case managed to regain control of the plane. (I doubt if there is an airbus pilot now who hasn’t studied the events of AF447 and worked out some kind emergency response.)
Pilots blame the equipment. The BEA blames the pilots. Air France blames the instruments.
When the dust settles and the finger-pointing stops, we want those involved to stop blaming, and start taking responsibility.
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What: PIA Pakistan to Manchester Where: Allama Iqbal International Airport Pakistan When: October 24, 2012 Who: 203 aboard (183 economy class passengers, 16 business class and four infants) Why: After passengers had boarded for the 11:45 a.m. flight to Manchester, and the plane was about to taxi for take off, a catering van drove onto the tarmac and into the parked aircraft, damaging the door of the plane.
Passengers disembarked and had to wait at the airport for hours until 7:30 when the replacement plane for PK 709 left for Manchester.
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