ISLAMABAD, May 18: To probe the Bhoja plane air crash, a Boeing Company’s technical team is due to visit Pakistan next week, Dawn has learnt.

A Boeing plane 737-200 of Bhoja Air carrying 127 people crashed close to Benazir Bhutto International Airport killing all on board on April 20.

Following the tragic incident, the Boeing Company said in a statement from its US office that it was ready to provide technical assistance to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan through the US National Transport Safety Board in accordance with the international protocols that govern aviation accident investigations.

“A team of Boeing technical experts is coming to Islamabad next week since Ministry of Defence has given them clearance,” said an official of the federal government close to the developments.

It is pertinent to mention here that the short-range plane was rolled out from the company’s plant in Seattle, US in August 1988. The official said that the technical expert’s team might comprise three to four officials.

Meanwhile, an official of the Boeing Company Susan Bradley told Dawn from its US office: “I am not sure right now whether or not our officials are going to Pakistan to probe the reasons of crash but it depends on the host nation since they [Pakistan] have to invite our technical investigating team.”

Ms Bradley said that it depended on the host agency of the country for what purpose and what type of investigation they wanted.

“We are invited to participate in a probe as a supporting party,” she clarified when asked what type of assistance the Boeing would be providing to Pakistan government.

“We are open to any probe and any assistance but the host agency decides what type of investigators they are looking for in a crash because we have a number of experts with different specialties for probes into crash and other accidents,” added the official.

Meanwhile, despite multiple attempts, Civil Aviation Authority Director General Nadeem Yousafzai was not available to comment on the development.

The manager of Bhoja Air at Benazir Bhutto International Airport was also not available for comments.