Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik on Friday while expressing sorrow over the loss of lives in the plane crash in Karachi said that the pilot had two options of runways but he decided to go around, which left several people dead and many others wounded.
In a video message on Friday, he said that the pilot of PK8303 had told ATC, "Our plane A320 which was coming from Lahore to Karachi was on final approach."
"The last words we heard from our pilot were that there is a technical problem and he was told on final approach that he has both runways available to him to land on. But the pilot decided that he wanted to go around."
Earlier on Friday, a PIA plane with more than 100 people believed to be on board, crashed in the southern city of Karachi. The plane crashed into a residential area, with clouds of thick black smoke billowing from the site.
"The plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members," said Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the spokesman for the country's aviation authority, adding that the flight was coming from Lahore.
Khokhar said that the aircraft was an Airbus A320 and was en route to Karachi. The Pakistan military later tweeted that security forces had been deployed to the area and helicopters were being used to survey the damage and help ongoing rescue operations.
In a video message on Friday, he said that the pilot of PK8303 had told ATC, "Our plane A320 which was coming from Lahore to Karachi was on final approach."
"The last words we heard from our pilot were that there is a technical problem and he was told on final approach that he has both runways available to him to land on. But the pilot decided that he wanted to go around."
Earlier on Friday, a PIA plane with more than 100 people believed to be on board, crashed in the southern city of Karachi. The plane crashed into a residential area, with clouds of thick black smoke billowing from the site.
"The plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members," said Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the spokesman for the country's aviation authority, adding that the flight was coming from Lahore.
Khokhar said that the aircraft was an Airbus A320 and was en route to Karachi. The Pakistan military later tweeted that security forces had been deployed to the area and helicopters were being used to survey the damage and help ongoing rescue operations.