Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705
AP-AMG, a similar aircraft to the one involved in the accident. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 20th May 1965 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain during approach; excessive descent - probably due to the flaps not set properly.[1] |
| Site | near Cairo International Airport, Egypt 30°07′19″N 31°24′20″E / 30.12194°N 31.40556°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 720B |
| Operator | Pakistan International Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | PK705 |
| ICAO flight No. | PIA705 |
| Call sign | PAKISTAN 705 |
| Registration | AP-AMH |
| Flight origin | Karachi Airport, Pakistan |
| 1st stopover | Dhahran International Airport, Saudi Arabia |
| 2nd stopover | Cairo International Airport, Egypt |
| Last stopover | Geneva Airport, Switzerland |
| Destination | London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom |
| Occupants | 127 |
| Passengers | 114 |
| Crew | 13 |
| Fatalities | 121 |
| Injuries | 6 |
| Survivors | 6 |
Not to be confused with Northwest Orient Airlines flight 705 or Federal Express flight 705
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 (PK705) was a Boeing 720B that crashed in Cairo while descending to land at Cairo International Airport on 20th May, 1965. There were 127 occupants in the plane, but only 6 survived.[2] The crash was the deadliest aviation accident to occur in Egypt at the time, and it is also the deadliest air disaster involving the Boeing 720. The crash was also known as the "Desert Tragedy".
It was an inaugural flight between Karachi and London and was carrying distinguished guests and journalists among the 114 passengers.[3] The aircraft was scheduled to stop at Dhahran in Saudi Arabia, Cairo and then finally Geneva before completing its journey to London.[3]
Aircraft
The plane was a 3 year old Boeing 720-040B, a shorter version of the Boeing 707. Its registration was AP-AMH and the serial number was 18379. This registration was removed from the Pakistan Aircraft Register on 3rd August, 1965, around 4 months after the crash. The aircraft was first flown on 19th October 1962 and delivered to Pakistan International Airlines on 7 November 1962.[4] At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown 8378 hours.[4]
Accident
It was on a routine flight, and it landed in Dhahran International Airport without any problems. The 2nd stopover was Cairo. As the aircraft was on final approach to Cairo International Airport, the pilot reported problems with the flaps; shortly after, the aircraft crashed southeast of the airport and broke up as it exploded into flames.[3] Six of the passengers were thrown clear of the wreckage, but everyone else on board was killed.[3] Among the dead was the Chinese aircraft designer Huang Zhiqian, who was chief designer of the Shenyang J-8. One of the survivors told that he was at the back and his seat was flung outside. He then managed to help the others who were still stuck in their seats.
After this accident, the Boeing 720's reputation had gone down, and people started avoiding flying, especially planes that are built by Boeing.
Investigation
On 26 May, local police reported that a transistor radio had been found in the wreckage of the aircraft with jewellery valued at $120,000 hidden in it.[5]
The probable cause of the crash was that "the aircraft did not maintain the adequate height for the circuit and continued to descend until it contacted the ground. The reason for that abnormal continuation of descent is unknown."[6] Although this investigation says that the cause it not known, it might have been caused by a problem in the flaps. A few minutes before the disaster, the captain did report that there was an issue in the flaps.
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 720-040B AP-AMH Cairo International Airport (CAI)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ a b c d "121 Killed in Desert Air Disaster – Pakistan Plane Crashed on new London Route". News. The Times. No. 56327. London. 20 May 1965. p. 14.
- ^ a b Pither 1998, p. 213
- ^ "£43,000 Jewels in Airliner Wreck". News. The Times. No. 56332. London. 27 May 1965. p. 11.
- ^ ICAO Circular 88-AN/74 (113–117)
- Pither, Tony (1998). The Boeing 707 720 and C-135. England: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-236-X.