KARACHI:
Investigators probing the crash of the K2 Airways cargo plane are examining the possibility of a malfunction in the plane’s inertial reference system (IRS) as well as spatial disorientation as potential causes of the crash, while the plane’s black box, engines, fuselage and crew have yet to be found.
According to sources, preliminary investigations are focusing on a possible technical defect in the plane’s inertial reference system (IRS), as well as the possibility that the pilots suffered spatial disorientation before the accident.
Sources said the IRS is a critical navigation system that provides pilots with information about the aircraft’s position, direction of travel, flight attitude and speed. The system is capable of operating independently without relying on external navigation signals.
Investigators are also examining the possibility of spatial disorientation, a very dangerous aviation condition in which a pilot loses precise awareness of the aircraft’s actual position, direction or movement and perceives a false sense of orientation.
According to sources, a fault in the aircraft’s navigation system had become a matter of interest during the preliminary investigation. They added that shortly before the accident, the flight crew requested heading guidance from air traffic control.
Meanwhile, on the fifth day of the rescue and salvage operation on Saturday, rescue teams were still unable to locate the plane’s black box.
Sources said the plane’s engines and flight data recorder are key pieces of evidence in determining the cause of the crash. Investigators believe that once the black box is recovered and its data decoded, a clearer picture of the events leading up to the crash should emerge.
