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Tail recovery raises hopes for black box |
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ISLAMABAD: The mystery of missing ‘black box’ is almost over as the tail of the plane that crashed into the Margalla Hills was found on Friday. “We have found the plane’s tail which carries the black box,” Airblue’s chief executive Shahid Khakan Abbasi said at a press conference on Friday. He said the tail of the airliner lay buried under mud and burnt trees. The tail carries the flight data recorder, or black box. At another press conference, Civil Aviation Authority director general Junaid Amin claimed that conversation between the pilot of Airblue flight ED-202 and air traffic control staff was normal and there was no panic and distress during the landing. However, he said, the investigation team would look into all aspects, including sabotage, ground fire and material failure. The Capital Development Authority provided cutters and other tools to the staff of CAA and Airblue to cut the tail and recover the black box. “I am hopeful that it will be taken out of the tail soon,” Mr Abbasi said, adding that details of the investigation would be made public. In his first public appearance after the crash, the owner of Airblue put the entire responsibility of the disaster on the pilot and claimed that he was not stopped by the control tower of Benazir Bhutto Airport from landing the plane. He said there was no technical fault in the airliner. “The landing decision is solely taken by the pilot and, therefore, no other person or authority can be blamed for the plane’s being taken to the Margalla Hills instead of landing at the airport,” he said. Brushing aside rumours that the pilot, Captain Pervez Iqbal Chaudhry, was suffering from fatigue, he said the pilot had rested for 36 hours before the flight. When asked about reports that the airline had not followed international safety rules, Mr Abbasi said Airblue had never violated any international rules. He said the pilot was 61 years old while the standard age at the international level was 65 years. Thirty-four-year-old co-pilot Mujttahid Chughtai had served in the Pakistan Air Force as F-16 jet fighter pilot. Mr Abbasi said the bodies of 102 passengers had been handed over to their relatives. Samples for DNA tests of 62 individuals have been sent to the laboratory. “The airline will pay insurance money to heirs of the plane crash victims,” he said. BLACK AREAS: A pilot of PIA revealed that there were some ‘black spots’ within a radius of 17km around Benazir International Airport where Global Positioning System (GPS) of planes stopped working. A seven-member team, headed by Air Commodore Khawaja Abdul Majid and comprising Capt Sardar M. Ilyas, group captain Mujahid Islam, engineer Tahir Abbas, ATS Amanullah Alvi, Capt Sohail Sarwer and doctor Afzal Bhogio, has been formed to investigate the crash. The team visited the crash site on Friday and took photographs of the wreckage and drew sketches. “Their first priority is to preserve the wreckage of the plane which was scattered on a 400-foot radius on the Margalla Hills. Engines, tail, cockpit and other major parts of the plane are lying there and everything is important for the investigation,” CAA director general Amin said. “The bulk-head which contains the black box has been found.” The DG said that a five-member team from France had arrived and engine experts from the United States and Germany will come soon. But, he said, they would not be a part of the government’s investigation. PM’S DIRECTIVE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani asked Interior Minister Rehman Malik to expedite the recovery operation and the process of handing over bodies to relatives. “All possible support and assistance should be provided to families of the victims,” he said. Mr Malik, who called on the prime minister on Friday, briefed him on the recovery of bodies. He said that most of the bodies and belongings of the deceased had been handed over to their families. BODY FOUND: Police found a mutilated body of a woman and some remains from the wreckage of the plane and shifted them to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for DNA tests and identification. A police official said that search for other bodies and remains would be carried out on Saturday. |
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ISLAMABAD:
31/07/2010 |
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