The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Pakistan is no longer in compliance with international aviation safety standards and that, as a result, the agency has lowered Pakistan’s safety rating under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.
The FAA gave no reason for its action, but its action follows the May 22 crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 on approach to Karachi-Jinnah International Airport. The crash, which killed 97 of the 99 occupants and one person on the ground, also destroyed the airplane.
A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of Pakistan said that, after an instrument landing system approach, the airplane touched down on Runway 25 “without landing gears” and that both engines “scrubbed the runway at high speed.” During the subsequent go-around, the crew told air traffic control that both engines failed, and the airplane crashed about 1,340 m (0.7 nm) short of the runway.
