France-based ATR team to help investigate PK-661 crash

A team from France-based ATR will assist with the probe into the crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) PK-661 that killed all the 48 passengers and crew aboard on December 7.

The team with a group of experts affiliated with the aircraft manufacturer is expected to arrive in Pakistan in the next 24 hours, according to the Dawn.

According to sources, the French embassy has also ensured full cooperation in the investigation.

The plane's black box and audio recorder will be sent to France within a couple of days, and the data retrieved from the black box and recording device in France will be handed to Pakistan's Safety and Investigation Board (SIB).

Sources said that data analysis will take another two to three weeks, adding that data decoded from the black box and the voice recorder will determine the direction of the investigation.

Yesterday, the PIA rejected claims circulating in the media that its fleet of aircraft is faulty saying, "It defies common sense that pilots and engineers would fly an aircraft that does not meet safety standards, and risk their own lives."

Some media reports suggest that engine problem was the cause of the crash.