Pilots' virus chat blamed for deadly Pakistan plane crash

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The pilots had been discussing the coronavirus as they attempted to land and had disengaged the craft's autopilot.

The pilots of a plane that crashed last month in Pakistan, killing 98 people, were pre-occupied by the coronavirus crisis and tried to land with the aircraft's wheels still up, according to initial official reports released Wednesday.

Investigators found the plane was at more than twice the correct altitude when it first approached the runway, and the tower advised the pilots to circle for a more gradual descent, the report states. "The pilot and co-pilot were not focused and throughout they were having a conversation about corona. The [virus] was on their minds. Their families were affected and they were having a discussion about it," Khan said.Khan also pointed to a troubling review of pilot credentials that is bound to reverberate through the country's airline industry.

Qasim Qadim -- a spokesman for the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association -- called the investigation's findings"mind-boggling"."The greatest pilots with the best records have made mistakes. Humans make mistakes."Gul joined the airline 25 years ago and had racked up 17,000 hours of flying experience, including 4,500 hours on A320s, the official said.Buildings were torn apart after the plane's wings sliced through rooftops, sending flames and plumes of smoke into the air.

Pakistan has a chequered military and civilian aviation safety record, with frequent plane and helicopter crashes over the years.

 

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