PIA, Air Blue aircrafts escape mid-air collision in Pakistan
Pakistan Times Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: A major air disaster was averted Wednesday when two passenger aircrafts narrowly averted a mid air collision, some 50 KM from Rahim Yar Khan, said sources.

General Manager (Public Relations) of Pakistan International (PIA) Ms Samina Pervez says; a PIA flight PK-309 was coming from Islamabad to Karachi when it suddenly came face to face with another plane of Air Blue coming from opposite direction.

A passenger and a cabin crew in the PIA flight were slightly injured, said the airline spokesperson.

The injured passenger was identified as Anwar, whereas the cabin crew's name could not be known. Both the injured were provided first aid in the aircraft.

Narrow Distance

The distance was very narrow, but the PIA pilot sensed the danger through the Warning System while the similar system, in the other aircraft also warned the other pilot.

The Spokesperson of PIA said, to save their respective aircraft, both the pilots had to take either upward or downward dip, but both the pilots took downward dip.

The PIA pilot however, had presence of mind and took a sharp ascent and both the aircraft narrowly escaped the disaster, Ms Samina Pervez explained.

Perspective

The PK-309 flying from Islamabad to Karachi and Air Blue plane coming from Karachi to Islamabad when they narrowly averted the collision near Rahim Yar Khan, due to wrong navigation by air traffic control.

"The disaster was only five seconds away, had the two aircraft continued flying on the same air corridor and there would have been a tragedy", a passenger told said.

The Karachi bound PIA flight, PK 309, carrying 179 passengers, while the Air Blue was carrying 137 passengers.

The imminent disaster

The imminent disaster was avoided due to last minute decision of the PIA pilot when he had to drop the altitude. "The air craft dipped so suddenly that a number of passengers hit the ceiling of the plane and were injured" the source said.

The Spokesperson said the PIA has ordered an inquiry into the event to find the real cause which led to the incident.

At the time of this incident, when the PIA flight dipped due to timely decision by the pilot, the crew members were serving the meal to the passengers and there was no warning signs for them.

Both the aircrafts, later landed safely and passengers went home, said the spokesperson of PIA.

Air Blue keeps Mum

Whereas the spokesperson of Pakistan's National flag carrier, Ms Samina Pervez instantly came out with an in-depth statement about the risky episode elucidating PIA's viewpoint, the private airline Air Blue which operates just on a few routes in Pakistan did not beam any story to the press with its' perceptions till the publication of this edition of 'Pakistan Times' in the pre-dawn hours of Friday.

The reason for this is best known to the bosses of the Air Blue, said a traveller when asked to comment on the cabin scenario of the flight mid-air.

Musharraf telephones Sh Rashid

President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday telephoned Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and said he felt relieved to learn that the minister and other passengers remained safe while proceeding from Islamabad to Karachi on a PIA flight which averted mid-air collison with another aircraft.

President Musharraf expressed his gratitude to Allah Almighty that both the planes and their passengers remained safe.●