Summary
- A Pakistan International Airlines flight experienced an engine failure and a hearth warning, prompting an emergency landing back in Karachi.
- The Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 276 people onboard was enroute to Saudi Arabia when the right-hand engine malfunctioned.
- Facing financial challenges, the airline recently handled canceled flights on account of unpaid dues for fuel.
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight experienced an engine failure and engine fire warning shortly after takeoff, forcing the aircraft to return to its departure airport on Saturday. The flight was within the technique of gaining altitude after departing Jinnah International Airport (KHI) in Karachi, Pakistan, when the incident occurred. This caused the aircraft to call for an emergency landing back at KHI.
Engine failure and fire warning
The Boeing 777-200, registered as AP-BMH, was operating PK-743 from Karachi to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) in Medina, Saudia Arabia. The aircraft was carrying 276 total people onboard and departed KHI at roughly 05:00 local time with a scheduled arrival time of roughly 07:00 local time at MED.
Per the Aviation Herald, the plane took off from Karachi’s Runway 7R and was starting to climb to altitude when the engine failure occurred. The appropriate-hand GE90 engine made a loud banging noise, began to spark, and emitted a fast burst of flames, prompting a hearth engine failure warning within the cockpit.
Photo: Eliyahu Yosef Parypa | Shutterstock
The flight crew reacted quickly and immediately discharged a hearth bottle from the aircraft’s fire extinguisher system per emergency protocol. The captain subsequently halted the aircraft’s climb at roughly 3,000 feet and in addition shut down the affected right-hand engine. The flight crew also immediately contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and requested an emergency landing. ATC safely diverted the aircraft back to KHI, and the flight crew safely landed the aircraft on Runway 25L after roughly quarter-hour within the air.
Affected aircraft
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and PIA engineering teams inspected the aircraft shortly after it returned to Karachi. The 18-year-old aircraft previously flew with Vietnam Airlines before PIA received it in December 2015. Initial investigations showed no evidence of actual fire inside the engine, prompting Pakistan’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to open an investigation.
Photo: Mike Fuchslocher | Shutterstock
PIA deployed one other aircraft, an Airbus A320 registered as AP-BOL, to proceed operating the flight. The aircraft eventually departed Karachi at roughly 23:51 local time.
Fighting lively flights
This inflight incident comes as PIA has been coping with financial issues. Recently, the airline was forced to cancel flights after failing to secure airline fuel. The state oil company, PSO, decided to stop providing fuel to PIA in mid-October on account of unpaid dues for aviation fuel. This led to the cancelation 375 domestic and international flights.
Nevertheless, in late-October, PSO prolonged one other credit to PIA, allowing the airline to resume normal operations. Lately, the airline has encountered operational struggles, recording monthly losses of as much as $40 million at one point. The stunning loss led the Prime Minister of Pakistan to push for the privatization of PIA to enhance its reliability and profitability.