Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268

Pakistan International Airlines
	File:Pakistan International Airlines logo.svg Logo of Pakistan International Airlines
Company type	State-owned enterprise
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1946
Headquarters	Karachi, Pakistan
Products	Air transport services
Website	www.piac.com.pk

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 involved an Airbus A300 aircraft, registration , which tragically crashed while on final approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on 28 September 1992. All 167 occupants lost their lives. This incident stands as the deadliest in the history of Pakistan International Airlines and represents Nepal's most severe aviation catastrophe.

Aircraft

The aircraft was an Airbus A300B4-103, bearing registration AP-BCP (serial number 025), manufactured in 1976 and aged 16 years at the time of the accident. It had logged a total of 39,045 flight hours and completed 19,172 flight cycles.

Crew

The cockpit team consisted of Captain Iftikhar Janjua, aged 49, who had accumulated 13,192 hours of flying experience, including 6,260 hours on the A300. The First Officer was Hassan Akhtar, aged 38, with a total of 5,849 flight hours and 1,469 hours on the A300. Two flight engineers were present: one operating engineer aged 40 with 5,289 hours (2,516 on the A300) and a second flight engineer, Muhammad Ashraf, aged 42, who had amassed 8,220 hours of flight time (4,503 on the A300).

Accident

Flight 268 departed from Karachi at 11:13 AM Pakistan Standard Time bound for Kathmandu. Upon establishing communication with Nepalese air traffic control, clearance was granted for the Sierra approach, which required passing over the "Romeo" reporting point located 41 nautical miles south of Kathmandu's VOR at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The descent was executed in seven stages down to 5,800 feet, crossing the "Sierra" reporting point at 10 DME at an altitude of 9,500 feet before final landing. This procedure guaranteed safe clearance above the Mahabharat Range situated south of Kathmandu.

At approximately 2:30 pm, shortly after reporting at the 10 DME mark, the aircraft collided with a mountain near Bhattedanda at an elevation of about 7,300 feet (2,524 meters). The impact caused immediate disintegration of the plane; all passengers and crew perished instantly. The tail fin detached upon impact and fell into the surrounding forest.

This disaster occurred just under two months after Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashed north of Kathmandu.

Victims

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
United Kingdom	36	—	36
Nepal	30	—	30
France	30	—	30
Pakistan	11	12	23
Netherlands	14	—	14
Spain	14	—	14
Bangladesh	4	—	4
United States	3	—	3
Canada	2	—	2
Unknown	2	—	2
Japan	1	—	1
New Zealand	1	—	1
Total	155	12	167

Investigation and causes

Post-crash efforts saw assistance from the Nepali Military in retrieving the aircraft’s black box. The investigation was headed by Andrew Robinson from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), with initial decoding of the flight data recorder conducted in Paris.

Eyewitnesses reported clear weather conditions at the time of impact. No mechanical faults were detected with the Airbus A300, and terrorism was excluded as a cause. Although cockpit voice recordings relevant to the accident were not recovered, flight data recorder information indicated that the descent began prematurely and that the aircraft consistently flew below authorized altitudes—approximately 1,000 feet lower at 16 DME and around 1,300 feet below clearance at 10 DME. As a result, the plane approached the Mahabharat Range at insufficient altitude leading to its collision with terrain on the southern slope. Despite correct altitude reports from pilots during descent, air traffic controllers did not issue warnings due to absence of radar surveillance.

The investigation concluded that pilot error under conditions of limited visibility and challenging mountainous terrain—which restricted ground proximity alerting—was the primary factor. Additional contributing elements included ambiguous approach charts for Kathmandu Airport and cautious air traffic control personnel hesitant to interfere with piloting decisions. The final report recommended that the ICAO undertake a review to standardize navigation charts globally and simplify approach procedures for Kathmandu Airport.

Memorials

Until 2012, the Lele PIA Memorial Park near the crash location was funded by PIA; following that year, its maintenance depended on the efforts of the victims' relatives. In 2023, local government bodies took over responsibility for its preservation and enhancement.

In Nepal, the Rupak Memorial Foundation was created to commemorate Rupak Raj Sharma, a former national football team captain and FIFA referee who perished in the crash. Sharma had officiated an important match during the 1992–93 Asian Club Championship and died alongside three assistant referees in the accident.

The Wilkins Memorial Trust, based in the United Kingdom and dedicated to supporting Nepal, was established in memory of a family who lost their lives in the tragedy.

In popular culture

This accident is depicted in the premiere episode of Season 20 of Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation, under the title "Kathmandu Descent".