PK-8303 crash: Investigators to begin forensic examination; search for missing voice recorder

KARACHI: The investigation team of Airbus comprising French experts will begin the forensic examination of evidences collected from the crash site of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane PK-8303 on Thursday (today), ARY News reported.

Sources told ARY News that the Airbus probe team will spend a busy day in Karachi as per schedule which includes the investigators will re-visit control tower, approach and radar control centres besides conducting a forensic examination of evidences using modern technical equipment.

The investigation process will be continued as the French experts and officials of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will also resume search for the missing cockpit voice recorder of the Airbus 320 aircraft.

Read: Cockpit voice recorder of crashed PIA plane not found so far: spokesperson

The investigators are still in search of cockpit voice recorder which is unrecovered so far. It has been decided to expand the area of search for early recovery of the voice recorder which is crucial to proceed with the probe.

The investigation team has been handed over the task of special inspection of the crash site to trace out the missing voice recorder.

InvesRead: Airbus team arrives in Karachi today to investigate PIA plane crash
tigators will also get the assistance of staff associated with PIA engineering, technical ground support and CAA vigilance departments.

The aviation experts will expedite probe into the available evidences collected from the airport’s runway to the crash site of the ill-fated plane besides collecting more proves.

Read: French experts probing PIA plane crash seek complete record of Airbus 320

A special briefing session will also be conducted for the aviation experts at CAA and PIA headquarters today, said sources.

Earlier in the day, the eleven-member investigation team of Airbus visited radar centre of the Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.

The visiting foreign experts reviewed the arrangements at the radar centre for the take-off and landing of aircraft. Moreover, the investigation team also inspected different equipment at the radar room besides witnessing the process of landing and take-off of the planes.

Read: Airbus team arrives in Karachi today to investigate PIA plane crash

The Airbus team questioned on-duty air traffic controller during the visit, as well as visited control tower. Sources told ARY News that the foreign investigation team reviewed regulations regarding the emergency landing call.

Except for two survivors, all 97 passengers and crew members of the aircraft that crashed into a residential area near Karachi airport were confirmed dead. However, no resident of the Model Colony’s Jinnah Garden, where the plane crashed, was among the deceased.