Turkish Airlines to aid in Pakistan plane crash probe

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan on Wednesday said it had sought technical assistance from Turkey's flag air carrier in an ongoing investigation into a plane crash that killed 98 people in the southern port city of Karachi last month.

Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said in parliament that a "senior pilot" from Turkish Airlines would soon join the investigators to ascertain if the crash was the result of technical or human error on the part of the plane's pilot, local broadcaster Geo News reported.

"We've requested from Turkish Airlines the services of a senior pilot in the ongoing investigation. He will soon join that [investigation]," Khan said.

On May 22, a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus traveling from the northeastern city of Lahore crashed into a residential area near Jinnah International Airport while landing with 99 passengers and crew on board.

Some 97 passengers and a girl on the ground were killed in the crash, while two survived.

Among the passengers were 20 women and three children, several army officers and senior journalist Ansar Naqvi.

Prime Minister Imran Khan formed a four-member committee to investigate the crash -- the second since 2016.

European plane-maker Airbus has also initiated an investigation into the crash. An 11-member team of Airbus experts and engineers visited the crash site last month and collected evidence.