Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 sustains a bird strike on takeoff from Karachi (KHI).
The incident occurred on March 17, 2020. The aircraft circled back and landed safely. None of 172 passengers and crew onboard sustained injuries.
Aircraft’s starboard engine was damaged, with marks on turbine blades visible. According to Pakistani media, an inspection will be performed on the engine to determine extent of the damage.
Today, PIA Airbus A320 (aircraft registration AP-BLU) Karachi to Islamabad flight PK368 with 162 passengers returned safely to Karachi after experiencing bird hit.
The A320’s right-hand engine suffered hit. The aircraft is grounded for engine inspection.https://t.co/0sS9jtyEJX pic.twitter.com/qYh7ykgg7x
— historyofpiadotcom (@historyofpia1) March 17, 2021
The Airbus A320, registered as AP-BLU, was on flight PK368 from Karachi (KHI) to Islamabad (ISB). The incident occurred several minutes after takeoff; the aircraft landed ten minutes later.
According to local media, a substitute aircraft departed on the same route several hours later, while the AP-BLU remains at the airport.
Pakistan’s bird strike problem came under international attention in 2020, when in September four aircraft sustained bird strikes in the span of 24 hours.