ISLAMABAD: An investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority into last year’s Airblue flight 202 crash in Margalla hills has concluded that a communication gap between the cockpit, radar and control tower operators led to the accident in which the 152 people onboard died.

A detailed presentation on the report was given to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani by CAA officials on Wednesday.

According to sources, the investigation report said communication between the cockpit and control tower was missing at critical moments.

The pilot was duly warned the moment he drifted from the marked flight path. However, it appeared that by the time he realised the danger it was too late and he couldn’t save the plane.

Replying to a question, the sources said it was too early to reach a conclusion about fixing responsibility.

The report will be sent to manufacturers and designers of the plane and after receiving their comments the final report along with recommendations will be made public.

According to a handout, the Safety Investigation Board presented the investigation report to the prime minister and briefed him in detail on the events which had led to the crash.

“The prime minister has approved the dispatch of the investigation report for comments to the states that manufactured and designed the plane, which is a requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The comments from these states are expected to be received within a period of 60 days.”

He said that while the government would wait for the comments from the manufacturers and designers, necessary directives must be issued to all concerned to ensure the safety of lives and equipment.