Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631
_JP12491.jpg) Another Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F-27 Friendship. | |
| Date | 8 December 1972 |
|---|---|
| Summary | CFIT |
| Site | Maidan, around 8 miles south of Jalkot, Pakistan |
| Aircraft type | Fokker F-27 Friendship |
| Operator | Pakistan International Airlines |
| Registration | AP-AUS |
| Flight origin | Gilgit Airport |
| Destination | Rawalpindi International Airport |
| Passengers | 22[1] or 28[2][3][4][5] |
| Crew | 4[1] or 5[2][3][4][5] |
| Fatalities | 26[1] or 33[2][3][4][5] (all) |
| Survivors | 0[1][6] |
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 airplane was a Fokker F-27. The plane crashed in mountainous terrain killing all people on board.
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
In 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 plane lost radio contact half way after 125 miles with Rawalpindi.[7]
After the airplane 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 transport aircrafts and two helicopters. They were not able to find the airplane and stopped when visibily became low, with ground searching continuing.[7] There was hope the plane had made an emergency landing at Chilas,[7] but the plane 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
The involved aircraft was a Pakistan International Airlines owned Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 with registration number AP-AUS and MSN 10314. The airplane had made its first flight on 2 December 1966 and had since made 11077 total airframe hours and 16720 cycles.[1]
Casualties
There 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 lists 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 guar.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 AP-AUS Maidan". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Pakistaanse Fokker Friendship vermist". Trouw (in Dutch). 9 December 1972. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d "Pakistaanse Friendship vermist". De Waarheid (in Dutch). 9 December 1972. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d "Friendship vermist". Limburgs Dagblad (in Dutch). 9 December 1972. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e f "Drie luchtrampen op één dag | Fokker Friendship in Pakistan spoorloos". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 9 December 1972. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Twee vliegrampen op één dag". De Waarheid (in Dutch). 11 December 1972. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e "From The Past Pages Of Dawn: 1972: Fifty Years Ago: PIA Fokker missing". Dawn. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b "History of PIA accidents". historyofpia.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "A timeline of plane crashes in Pakistan". The News (in Dutch). 22 May 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2024 – via Delpher.
