Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight on 8 December 1972 operated by the Pakistan International Airlines that took off from Gilgit Airport in Gilgit, Pakistan, bound for Rawalpindi International Airport in Rawalpindi. The involved aircraft was a Fokker F-27. The aircraft crashed in mountainous terrain killing all people on board.
_JP12491.jpg) A Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F-27 Friendship, similar to the one involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 8, 1972 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | Jalkot, Pakistan |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 |
| Operator | Pakistan International Airlines |
| Registration | AP-AUS |
| Flight origin | Gilgit Airport |
| Destination | Benazir Bhutto International Airport |
| Passengers | 22[1] or 28[2][3][4][5] |
| Crew | 4[1] or 5[2][3][4][5] |
| Fatalities | 26[1] or 32[2][3][4][5] |
| Survivors | 0[1][6] |
The crash took place on the same day as Ethiopian Airlines Flight 708 and United Air Lines Flight 553.[6][5]
Flight, search and recovery
editIn the evening of 8 December 1972, the Pakistan International Airlines operated Fokker F-27 departed at 11:40am from Gilgit Airport in Gilgit, Pakistan bound for Rawalpindi International Airport in Rawalpindi where it was scheduled to arrive at 12:50pm.[2][7] There were rainy conditions during the flight. The aircraft lost radio contact halfway after 125 miles with Rawalpindi.[7]
After the aircraft didn't arrive during the evening of 8 December 1972, the airplane was reported missing by Pakistan International Airlines.[2][5] A search operation was started with two C-130 transports and two helicopters. They were not able to find the aircraft and stopped when visibility became low, with ground searching continuing.[7] There was hope the Fokker had made an emergency landing at Chilas,[7] but the wreck was found the next day on Saturday 9 December.[6] The aircraft had struck a snow-covered 9000 feet high mountain at the foot of the Himalayas near the village of Maidan around 8 miles south of Jalkot.[8][6] All people on board were killed.[1][6]
The bodies from the airplane were recovered by soldiers of the Pakistan Army.[8]
Aircraft
editThe involved aircraft was a Pakistan International Airlines owned Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 with registration number AP-AUS and MSN 10314. The aircraft had made its first flight on 2 December 1966 and had since made 11077 total airframe hours and 16720 cycles.[1]
Casualties
editThere is a difference between sources about the number of people onboard. Aviation Safety Networks lists 26 people (22 passengers and four crew members),[1] newspaper sources list 33 people (28 passengers and five crew members).[3][6][2][4][5] The News states it were at least 31 people.[9] There were no survivors.[1][6]
The five crew members consisted of two cockpit crew including captain Javedullah, two cabin crew and one air guard.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 AP-AUS Maidan". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Pakistaanse Fokker Friendship vermist" [Pakistani Fokker Friendship missing]. Trouw (in Dutch). December 9, 1972. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d "Pakistaanse Friendship vermist" [Pakistani Friendship Missing]. De Waarheid (in Dutch). December 9, 1972. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d "Friendship vermist" [Friendship missing]. Limburgs Dagblad (in Dutch). December 9, 1972. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e f "Drie luchtrampen op één dag | Fokker Friendship in Pakistan spoorloos" [Three air disasters in one day | Fokker Friendship missing in Pakistan]. Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). December 9, 1972. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Twee vliegrampen op één dag" [Two air disasters in one day]. De Waarheid (in Dutch). December 11, 1972. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e "From The Past Pages Of Dawn: 1972: Fifty Years Ago: PIA Fokker missing". Dawn. December 9, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "History of PIA accidents". historyofpia.com. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ "A timeline of plane crashes in Pakistan". The News. May 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
