MY heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones in the recent PIA plane crash. An investigation has already begun and we should have initial findings soon. I have 37 years of flying experience with different airlines of international repute. I was also a flight instructor and a CAA Pakistan flight inspector. I have the following suggestions for the authorities.

There have been 18 air crashes in Pakistan since 1965. Why such a large number, and who is responsible? Usually human error, birds and some technical fault are blamed. Unfortunately the most important player, the regulators, which in this case happens to be the Civil Aviation Authority are not thoroughly probed.

The CAA of Pakistan not only regulates the aviation sector but also acts as a watchdog. In my opinion the country does not have the capacity or expertise for this task. Nearly all of their inspectors are borrowed from local airlines, a clear manifestation of conflict of interest.

The CAA has no shortage of funds. If it can build the new Islamabad airport with its own resources, it can easily employ qualified people for each type of aircraft flown by local airlines. There is a need to restructure the CAA before other countries ban our planes from flying into their air space which has happened in the past.

Syed Anwar Mahmood
Islamabad.

(2)

AFTER the PIA air crash the government should have announced three days of mourning and the national flags should have been lowered to half- mast. This is the done thing in other countries when a catastrophe claims scores of precious lives. On the contrary Pakistanis celebrated Eid with the same zeal and fanfare. Even the media telecast Eid programmes with the same level of gaiety. I request citizens to be more sensitive to the mouring of those who have lost their loved ones in a tragedy.

Safir Siddiqui
Karachi

(3)

THE facts were almost clearly evaluated immediately after the crash. We were told that the landing gear had jammed and therefore the pilot aborted landing at the first approach and circled the airport. When he was coming in for ‘belly landing’ the engines failed, the plane abruptly lost height and came too low over the residential buildings, hit them and crashed.

I was expecting progress in the investigation on these lines. However, it seems the facts have now turned topsy turvy and we are now told that what we heard immediately after the crash was simply not said by anybody responsible to comment. I am afraid attempts are now afoot to manipulate the inquiry. I would suggest a public inquiry in addition to the official inquiry whose findings will never be made public.

It used to be said about the British government that when it did not want to probe an issue in the face of public demand to hold an inquiry, it constituted a ‘royal commission ‘ to look into it and that used to be the last that the public heard about that problem. Our inquiries seem to be an equivalent of the British royal commissions.

Justice (retd) Salahuddin Mirza
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2020