[محمد احمد عسيري]

Crash: PIA A320 at Karachi on May 22nd 2020, impacted residential area during final approach

A PIA Pakistan International Airlines A320-200, registration AP-BLD performing flight PK-8303 from Lahore to Karachi (Pakistan) with 90 passengers and 8 crew, had aborted the approach to Karachi due to problems with extension of the nose landing gear and performed a go around. While on a left downwind for a second approach to runway 25L, about abeam the threshold of runway 25L the crew requested to turn left immediately reporting they had lost both engines and repeatedly declaring Mayday about 5 minutes after the go around, the RAT (RAM Aír Turbine) deployed. Tower cleared the aircraft to land on either runway 25 (25L or R). The aircraft lost height and impacted a residential area called Model Colony, featuring concrete multistorey buldings on second final approach east of the aerodrome (presumably while on final approach to runway 25L) and burst into flames at about 14:40L (09:40Z). On the ground, near position N24.9116 E67.1881, five multistorey houses - including the Allied School Airport Campus - are being reported to have been de-roofed and set ablaze, debris is distributed over the streets.

Rescue and recovery services are on their way to the crash site.

Jinnah Medical Center reported around 12:30Z, that 15 bodies and 8 injured people (unclear whether the injured were occupants of the aircraft or people on the ground) were taken to the center.

Local videos show one of the passengers, a well known chairman of a bank, being pulled out of the wreckage with injuries but in stable condition.

The family of another occupant of the aircraft tweeted their family member was alive but injured having survived the accident.

Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority have declared emergency for Karachi Airport.

The airline reported the aircraft carried 90 passengers and 8 crew. So far no information is available whether there are survivors. Saying anything more would be premature.

A ground observer reported the aircraft suddenly became silent in its final seconds of flight.

The aircraft was scheduled to land at 14:45L (09:45Z).

Metars:
OPKC 221100Z 23014KT 7000 NSC 35/24 Q1004 NOSIG=
OPKC 221030Z 22014KT 7000 NSC 35/24 Q1004 NOSIG=
OPKC 220955Z 24011KT 7000 NSC 35/24 Q1004 NOSIG=
OPKC 220925Z 24011KT 7000 NSC 35/24 Q1004 NOSIG=
OPKC 220825Z 24012KT 7000 NSC 36/24 Q1005 NOSIG=
OPKC 220755Z 22012KT 7000 NSC 36/24 Q1005 NOSIG=
OPKC 220725Z 24012KT 7000 NSC 35/24 Q1005 NOSIG=
OPKC 220655Z 22011KT 7000 NSC 35/24 Q1006 NOSIG=

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