PIA Boeing 777 Returns To Karachi Following Engine Failure

PIA Boeing 777 Returns To Karachi Following Engine Failure

• PIA flight experienced engine failure and a fire warning, prompting an emergency landing back in Karachi.
• The Boeing 777 aircraft with 276 people onboard was en route to Saudi Arabia when the right-hand engine malfunctioned.
• PIA facing financial challenges, recently dealt with canceled flights due to unpaid dues for fuel, prompting calls for privatization.

On Saturday, December 2, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft experienced an engine failure and engine fire warning shortly after takeoff that forced the aircraft to return to its departure airport. The PIA flight was in the process 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 to Karachi.

Engine failure and fire warning

The Boeing 777 was operating PK-743. It was flying from Karachi to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) in Medina, Saudia Arabia, and was carrying 276 total people onboard. The aircraft departed KHI at approximately 05:00 local time and was set to arrive at MED at approximately 07:00 local time.

Per the Aviation Herald, AP-BMH took off from Karachi’s runway 07R and was beginning to climb to altitude when the engine failure occurred. The right-hand engine, which was a General Electric GE90 engine and one of the three engine options offered on the Boeing 777, made a loud banging noise. The engine also began to spark and emitted a quick burst of flames. This led to the cockpit receiving both a fire warning and an engine failure warning.

The flight crew reacted quickly and immediately discharged a fire bottle from the aircraft’s fire extinguisher system per emergency protocol. The captain subsequently halted the aircraft’s climb at approximately 3000 feet and also shut down the affected right-hand engine. The flight crew also immediately contacted air traffic controllers and asked for an emergency landing back at Karachi. The air traffic controllers safely diverted the aircraft back to the Karachi airport, and an emergency landing was declared on the runway. The flight crew safely landed the aircraft on runway 25L after approximately 15 minutes in the air.

Affected aircraft

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and PIA engineering teams inspected the aircraft shortly after it returned to Karachi. The aircraft, which was a Boeing 777-200 variant, was registered as AP-BMH. AP-BMH is an 18-year-old aircraft that was initially delivered to Vietnam Airlines in 2005. PIA took delivery of the aircraft in December 2015. Initial investigations showed no evidence of actual fire within the engine. Pakistan’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) subsequently opened an investigation.

Due to the aircraft’s ongoing investigation, another aircraft was organized to continue operating this flight. PIA brought an Airbus A320 registered as AP-BOL to continue PK-743. The 6-year-old aircraft eventually departed Karachi at approximately 23:51 local time.

Struggling with active flights

This inflight incident occurred after PIA had been dealing with other financial issues. The airline was recently 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 due to unpaid dues for aviation fuel. This led to the eventual cancelation of 375 total flights, including both domestic and international services.

However, in late-October, PSO extended another credit to the airline, this time in the number of 500 million rupees ($6 million). This allowed the airline to resume normal operations. The airline has struggled in recent years and has even recorded monthly losses of up to $40 million. This has led to recent comments from the Prime Minister of Pakistan to push for the privatization of PIA to improve its reliability and profitability.