CAA grounds all six ATRs of PIA

By
Tariq Abul Hasan
|
CAA grounds all six ATRs of PIA

ISLAMABAD: The Civil Aviation Authority on Monday grounded all six ATR planes of the Pakistan International Airlines, informed CAA sources.

According to sources, the CAA contended that the national airline was not checking the engine oil of the planes properly. The authority ordered the airline to run an adequate check on the planes’ engines.

Sources said that the CAA directed PIA to have the ratio of metallic elements in engine oil of ATR planes checked through magnetic chip detector.

Sources said that since the time these ATR planes were bought, they haven’t been through proper examination as the airline didn’t have magnetic chip detector.

The PIA, after the CAA’s warning, acquired the tool.

The PIA in response said that it has completed the check on three of its planes, and the remaining ATRs will go through the examination process too.

The airline said that the CAA cleared four of its plane after the oil check.

CAA sources said following the Islamabad-bound ATR plane’s crash near Havelian, the national airlines' ATR planes have been going through proper scrutiny.

Earlier on Dec 12, the PIA had grounded its entire fleet of ATR aircraft till completion of a thorough ‘examination’, although due to lack of magnetic chip detector, engine oil of the planes couldn’t be checked at that time.

PIA ATR-42 aircraft operating flight PK-661 crashed on Dec 7, killing all 47 on board, including famous singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed.