Pakistan International Airlines Flight 259

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 259

Aircraft involved in this accident
Accident
Date	February 11, 2013 (2013-02-11)
Summary	Technical fault due to a mechanical failure of the left main gear.
Site	Muscat International Airport, Oman 23°35′35.8″N58°17′4.0″E / 23.593278°N 58.284444°E / 23.593278; 58.284444
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 737-33A
Operator	Pakistan International Airlines
IATA flight No.	PK259
ICAO flight No.	PIA259
Call sign	PAKISTAN 259
Registration	AP-BEH
Flight origin	Islamabad International Airport
Stopover	Sialkot International Airport
Destination	Muscat International Airport
Occupants	114
Passengers	107
Crew	7
Fatalities	0
Survivors	114

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 259 was a scheduled passenger flight from Islamabad International Airport in Pakistan to Muscat International Airport in Oman, with a stopover at Sialkot International Airport in Pakistan. On February 11, 2013, a Boeing 737-33A operated by Pakistan International Airlines had a left main gear collapse while landing at Runway 26L, causing the engine to scrap out and come to rest on the left side of the runway with No. 1 engine contacting the runway surface. The damage was severe enough that the aircraft was declared a total loss (written off). ^[1]

Aircraft and Crew

Crew

The pilot in command was 55-year-old Captain Muhummed Arif; he had a total of 12,239 hours of flying experience on the Boeing 737-33A. The first officer was 39-year-old First Officer Muhummed Iqbal; he had a total of 1,924 hours of flying experience on the Boeing 737-33A. ^[2]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-33A, manufactured in 1992, registration AP-BEH, operated by Pakistan International Airlines, Serial number 25504/2341, powered by two CFM International CFM56-3B2. ^[3]

Accident

The Boeing 737-33A registered AP-BEH had a left main gear collapse while landing at Runway 26L at Muscat International Airport on 11 February 2013. The No. 1 engine contacted the runway, and the aircraft came to a rest on the left side of the runway. All 114 occupants evacuated uninjured, and the plane was declared a total loss (written off). ^{[4] [5]}

Cause

The incident took place due to the shimmy of the left main landing gear. The excessive play at joints to torsion links and the shimmy damper mechanism was the cause of the shimmy event. ^{[6] [7]}

Investigation

The accident was investigated by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PakCAA) in coordination with Omani aviation authorities. The investigation focused on the left main landing gear collapse. Examination revealed excessive play at the joints of the torsion links and the shimmy damper mechanism, which caused a shimmy event leading to the gear collapse. The aircraft was subsequently written off, and no injuries were reported among the 114 occupants. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

See also

• Southwest Airlines Flight 345
• Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431

References

1. "Crash of a Boeing 737-33A in Muscat | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
2. saad.hasan (11 February 2013). "Emergency landing: PIA plane crash lands at Muscat airport". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
3. "PIA B733 at Muscat on Feb 11th 2013, main gear collapse on landing". www.aeroinside.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
4. "The Aviation Herald". avherald.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
5. Oman, Times of. "Close shave for passengers as PIA plane crash-lands". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
6. Ranter, Harro. "Accident Boeing 737-33A AP-BEH, Monday 11 February 2013". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
7. "Oman aviation: Crashed Pakistan International Airlines jet gets new owner". Times of Oman. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
8. "PIA Flight Crash-lands At Muscat Airport - Aviation Business Middle East". 12 February 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
9. Newspaper, The Peninsula (12 February 2013). "Muscat airport scare". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
10. "PIA crash-lands at Muscat International Airport | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.

External links

• Accident description at Aviation Safety Network