Airbus A321, Pakistan Air Blue Flight ED202, Crashes Near Islamabad

A Pakistani army helicopter carrying remains of plane crash victims takes off from the wreckage-strewn accident site on the outskirts of Islamabad on July 28. (Amir Qureshi/Getty Images)

An Airbus A321 passenger jet, Flight ED202 operated by the private Pakistani airline Air Blue, crashed in the Margalla Hills just outside of Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad on Wednesday morning. All 146 passengers and 6 crew members were killed, leaving a mess of debris and a huge blackened scar on the heavily forrested landscape. The A321 was carrying two Americans, said the US Embassy.

Bad weather is believed to be the cause of the crash. Pakistani Government officials told Dawn Television, a Pakistani news agency, bad weather was thought to have caused the “tragic incident” -but all possible causes would be investigated, including terrorism, mechanical failure, and pilot error. The plane had been diverted to Islamabad due to bad weather. It was spotted by eyewitnesses flying unusually low, moments before the sound of the crash was heard, reported India News Agency NDTV.

The A321 has traditionally been considered an extremely reliable aircraft. This is the first incident with fatalities involving the A321 model airplane. Airbus’ website states that the crashed plane was 10 years old and had made approximately 13,500 flights. According to Pakistani officials, the aircraft’s black box has been retrieved despite heavy rains that are hampering recovery and investigation efforts.