By: Hamdullah Khan
ABBOTTABAD: Nine years have passed since the plane crash in Abbottabad’s Havelian Tehsil. In the first two or three years following the tragedy, schoolchildren were taken to the crash site for prayer ceremonies. However, yesterday, December 7, passed in silence, with no educational institution sending students there.
On this day, we remember the ill-fated flight that carried 47 people, including the renowned Naat Khawan Junaid Jamshed and members of the royal family of Chitral, all of whom lost their lives. December 7, 2016, is one of the darkest days in Pakistan’s aviation history. PIA flight PK-661 began its journey from Chitral to Islamabad at 3:30 PM. During the flight, one of the engines failed mid-air. The ATR plane struggled for 42 minutes before crashing in the hills of Havelian. Among those lost in this tragic accident were Junaid Jamshed, his wife, our beloved and well-mannered Deputy Commissioner of Chitral, Osama Warraich, the royal family of Chitral, the crew, and 47 other passengers on board.
Aviation experts assert that such an accident has never occurred before in the history of ATR operations since 1984. Investigators from France, China, and Canada looked into the crash, and the final report revealed that when one engine failed, power was shifted to the other engine. Unfortunately, during this transition, the overspeed governor malfunctioned, causing the plane to go out of control.
The investigation report, released four years later, also disclosed the alarming fact that the plane was permitted to fly despite prior knowledge of a technical fault. Yet, even after so many years, no actions have been taken based on this report.
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