Lest we forget: Remembering Airblue flight 202 crash
152 people lost their lives as a result of the plane crash
LAHORE (Web Desk) – On July 28, 2010, Airblue flight 202 that headed from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport to Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport, crashed in the Margalla Hills – north of the country’s capital – killing all 152 people on board including the 6 crew members.
The incident was the deadliest air accident in the history of Pakistan. Flight controllers at Benazir Bhutto International Airport lost contact with the plane after two hours after it took off from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
Scenes of the crash site
As the plane, an Airbus A321-231, headed towards the airport for landing it got engulfed in dense fog and monsoon rain. Those on ground stated that the plane was flying quite low. Investigations revealed that multiple warnings regarding the proximity of land from the plane were issued some 40 seconds before the plane crashed into the Margalla Hills.
Airblue A321-231 plane
142 Pakistani nationals, including the 6 crew members on board, died in the incident whereas one Austrian national, one Somali national and two Americans also lost their lives in the tragic happening.
The report presented by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) some two years after the incident concluded that the tragedy occurred as a result of the failure of the aircrew to “display superior judgment and professional skills in a self-created unsafe environment.” The report claimed that Captain Pervez Chaudhary ignored the orders he received from Islamabad airport and also was unwilling to take into consideration the suggestions given by the First Officer.
Report of the air crash
Airblue announced that it shall give Rs 1,000,000 to the family of each person who died in the incident whereas the Pakistani government stated that it shall provide Rs 500,000 to the families of each person who died in the tragedy. The next day (July 29, 2010) was declared as a national day of mourning.
19-year old Misha Dawood, a local of Karachi and a rising football star of the country died in the tragic incident. Former national athlete Zafar Saleem also lost his life in the horrific crash. A total of 110 men, 29 women, 5 children and 2 infants died because of the accident; a newly-wed couple also became victim of the tragedy. The captain, Pervez Chaudhary, 62, had over 25,000 hours of flight experience in his splendid career that spanned almost 35 years.
A memorial was constructed at the Margala Hills in the memory of the 152 people who died as a result of the crash.
Memorial at the crash site
