Pakistani jet 'dipped like a diver' to avoid crash

Aviation authorities were investigating today after a jetliner dipped, fearing collision with another passenger plane at 37,000 feet over eastern Pakistan, injuring several people and leaving others in shock.

Women and children wept and some recited Muslim prayers afraid they were about to die after the apparent near-miss late yesterday of the two domestic airliners, carrying more than 300 people, including the chief government spokesman.

“Those few moments were very heavy for us, like we were going to die,” said Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

Pervez George, spokesman for Pakistan’s civil aviation department, said an investigation was ordered into the incident involving two Airbus planes of the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines and private operator Air Blue about 440 miles north-east of the southern city of Karachi, at about 8.20pm.

Air Blue commercial director Nasir Ali said its flight, from Karachi to Lahore with 144 passengers, was assigned an altitude of 37,000 feet, which it maintained, passing the PIA plane below it with the required altitude separation of 1,000 feet, and completing a routine flight.

“No unusual manoeuvres were performed by the Air Blue aircraft,” he said. “There was no danger to any of the passengers on the Air Blue aircraft at any time.”

PIA told a different story.

Its director of flight operations Captain Asif Raza said pilots of its flight from Karachi to Islamabad with 179 passengers had to suddenly dip 700 feet after an emergency light came on in their cockpit to avoid hitting the Air Blue jet.

“We were lucky that two senior and seasoned pilots were flying the (PIA) aircraft,” Raza said. “They had just five seconds to get the aircraft away from that air corridor. Otherwise, there could have been a mid-air collision.”

A civil aviation official said its data showed the planes a normal distance apart, and it was investigating why the PIA plane suddenly dipped.

Doctors and PIA officials said a hostess on its plane and a male passenger were taken to hospital, and two other people were treated for shock. Several other passengers were treated at Karachi airport for minor injuries.

Ahmed – who as he spoke to reporters received a call from President General Pervez Musharraf to check that he was okay – said that the PIA plane had already started its descent for Karachi when it suddenly dropped down “like a diver”.

“Women and children began crying. Two, four passengers were slammed against the roof because they had not fastened their seat belts,” he said, adding that doctors on board took care of the injured people.

Another passenger, MP Kunwar Khalid Younus, said many passengers had undone their seat belts as the in-flight meal was being served and some were thrown into the aisle. People started chanting prayers.

“The crew told us that the pilot had taken a sudden dip because another plane was oncoming. We landed at Karachi airport, and people cheered and clapped their hands. Some were taken into ambulances,” he said.

A 48-year-old businessman, Javed Ahmed, injured his head when it banged against a food trolley.

He said a hostess collecting empty food trays fell and broke her hand.

“Thanks be to God that we were saved in these movements from doomsday. We had said our prayers but God had mercy on us,” Ahmed said.