Pakistan International Airlines have grounded its all ATR turboprop airliner fleet following the fatal crash of the type on December 7.
Pakistan International Airlines have grounded its all ATR turboprop airliner fleet following the fatal crash of the type on December 7.
The country's Civil Aviation Authority's will carry out shakedown tests on PIA's five ATR-42 and five ATR-72 aircraft. The aircraft will undergo thorough examination and trial flights before declared operational.
Temporary suspension of ATR operation will particularly affect PIA's flight operation to smaller airports like Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Moenjodaro, Zhob, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Chitral and Gilgit.
The PIA flight PK-661 crashed in the Saddha Batolni village in the vicinity of Havelian, on last Wednesday.
The flight on its way from Chitral to Islamabad crashed at 1642 PST killing all 42 passengers and 05 crew members onboard.
The twin turboprop powered ATR 42 aircraft registered AP-BHO had its first flight in 2007. The aircraft was flown for 18736 flight hours since then and had last undergone certification in October 2016.
An initial report into the accident by CAA determined that the aircraft's left engine malfunctioned at an altitude of 13,375 feet (4,077 m) and exploded, damaging the left wing and disrupting the aerodynamics.
The pilot reported the engine failure at 16:12, which was followed by a rapid uncontrolled descent and the disappearance of the aircraft from ground radar a few minutes later.
