What you need to know about the Pakistani airliner crash
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight crashed Friday in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, according to Health Minister Azra Fazal.
Here’s what we know:
- At least 76 people are dead: According to a statement from the Sindh Health, at least 76 bodies have been recovered. Speaking at a press conference earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik said there were 99 people onboard including crew and passengers.
- Where the plane was going: The flight took off from Lahore and was due to land in Karachi before it disappeared from the radar.
- Where the plane crashed: The Airbus A320 crashed into the Model Colony neighborhood, next to the airport.
- Pakistani pilot says he lost engines in mayday call: A pilot on the flight told air traffic control in Karachi he lost engines before the plane crashed on Friday.
In an audio recording of aircraft communications obtained by CNN, from a Pakistani government source, the pilot can be heard speaking with air traffic control about his approach before saying, “We are proceeding direct, we have lost engines.”
Malik, the airlines CEO, said in a news conference Friday that all checks and certifications had been in place, nothing was pending and the airline was operationally and administratively good to go.
Malik could not yet confirm why the accident took place but said there will be a proper inquiry.
Our live coverage of the Pakistani airliner crash in Karachi has ended for the day. Read more about the crash here.
At least 76 dead in Pakistan plane crash
At least 76 bodies have been recovered after Pakistan International Airline flight 8303 crashed in Karachi Friday, according to a statement from the Sindh Health Department.
Speaking at a news conference earlier Friday, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik said there were 99 people onboard including crew and passengers.
Pakistan plane did not hit building while reason for the crash remains unclear, airline CEO says
The Pakistan commercial flight did not crash into a building and no bodies of residents have been retrieved, according to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik.
Malik said at a news conference in Karachi Friday that they are tracking the number of dead by coordinating with local hospitals which will take at least two days.
All checks and certifications had been in place, nothing was pending and the airline was operationally and administratively good to go, Malik added.
“Air travel is the safest. PIA’s pilots and engineers follow SOPs [standard operating procedures] and are highly qualified A320 is one of the safest planes in the industry,” he said.
Malik could not yet confirm why the accident took place but said there will be a proper inquiry.
Some context: There were 99 people including crew and passengers onboard.
The pilot said he was ready to land but then made a second approach when something went wrong. Malik said they will know more about what happened when the flight recorder is retrieved.
At least 38 dead in Pakistan plane crash
At least 38 people have died after Pakistan International Airline flight 8303 crashed in Karachi Friday, according to Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho.
Pakistan’s Aviation Ministry said the flight from Lahore was carrying 99 passengers and eight crew members.
However, it’s unclear if the 38 victims were all onboard the plane or people who may have been hit at the scene of the crash.
Pakistani pilot says he lost engines in mayday call with air traffic control
A pilot on Pakistan International Airline flight 8303 told air traffic control in Karachi he lost engines before the plane crashed on Friday.
In an audio recording of aircraft communications obtained by CNN, from a Pakistani government source, the pilot can be heard speaking with air traffic control about his approach before saying, “We are proceeding direct, we have lost engines.”
The Airbus A320 is a twin engine aircraft.
A spokesman for the government owned airline, Pakistan International Airlines, Abdullah Khan confirms the authenticity of the recording.
On the recording, air traffic control asks the pilot to confirm a belly landing. The pilot’s response is inaudible.
It is unclear why they are discussing a belly landing.
A few seconds later the pilot can be heard giving several Mayday calls followed by a response from air traffic control that both runways are clear to land.
The audio then cuts off.
Pakistani army deploys search and rescue team to Karachi
Pakistan’s armed forces have flown a search and rescue team from Rawalpindi to the crash site in Karachi.
“Military ambulances [are] busy in rescuing injured & providing necessary medical care,” a military spokesperson said on Twitter.
Pakistan Red Crescent Society says rescue teams are recovering bodies from crash scene
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society has deployed three ambulances and 25 emergency response force members to help with a rescue and relief operation at the crash site, the organization said on Twitter.
Volunteers are helping recover bodies from the debris, the Red Crescent added.
Airline chair says plane's pilot reported technical problems
Pakistan International Airlines chairman Arshad Malik has said the plane’s pilot reported he was experiencing technical difficulties before the crash.
“It is a very sad incident and I am going to Karachi,” he said.
“The last voice we heard of the [c]aptain was [that] we have a technical problem. He said this from final approach, he was told we are ready for landing, both strips are free and you can land but [he] decided to go-round.
“What was the reason, what was the tactical issue? We will investigate.”
At least 11 bodies brought to one Karachi hospital
At least 11 bodies from the scene of the Karachi plane crash have been brought to Jinnah Hospital, according to hospital spokesperson Seemi Jamali.
It is unclear if those fatalities involve victims from the ground or the plane.
Pakistan Prime Minister "shocked and saddened" by incident
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed his shock over the Karachi crash near the neighborhood of Model Colony.
Khan added that an “immediate inquiry” will take place. “Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased,” he said. No fatalities have yet been publicly confirmed.
Plane that crashed was Airbus A320
The Pakistan International Airlines, flight PK8303, which crashed today in Karachi, was an Airbus A320.
Pakistan’s Army sent helicopters to assess damage and rescue efforts while urban search and rescue teams are being deployed on the ground, Pakistan’s military tweeted Friday.
The Airbus A320 is known as a work horse, says CNN’s transport analyst Mary Schiavo, who added that Pakistan has been plagued with several plane crashes in the past.
Plane’s pilot reported technical problems
The pilot of a Pakistan International Airlines plane that crashed in Karachi on Friday relayed he had technical problems, airline spokesperson Abdullah Khan told CNN.
Flights had resumed in Pakistan just a week ago
Flights had resumed in Pakistan just over a week ago after being grounded for two months, as a precaution to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The Pakistan International Airways flight crashed in a residential area in Karachi, which is the country’s most populated city. Worries are mounting that people on the ground will be among the casualties.
The crash comes as the country prepares to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid al-Fitr, with many traveling home to their families in towns and villages.
Footage shows smoke billowing over Karachi
A Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying more than 100 people crashed in the southern city of Karachi, the airline said. In a video shared by journalist Qaseem Saeed, smoke billows in the distance where the plane is purported to have crashed in the city.
BREAKING: Pakistan International Airlines flight crashes in Karachi
A Pakistan International Airlines flight has crashed in Karachi, the airline’s spokesperson, Abdullah Khan, told CNN Friday.
Pakistan’s Aviation Ministry says the flight had 99 passengers and eight crew members.
Khan told CNN the flight took off from Lahore and was due to land at 2:30 p.m. local time (5.30 a.m. ET) in Karachi but had gone missing from the radar.
An emergency response protocol has been activated.
![CORRECTION / This picture shows a general view of damaged structures at the site of a strike in Bartalla in the northern Iraqi Nineveh province on July 29, 2026. US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on July 29 killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said. The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images) / Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem and several neighboring countries.Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters' movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites. / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ziad OBEID has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: corrects byline to [Zaid AL-OBEIDI] instead of [Ziad OBEID]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require."](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-2287466969.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill)
