Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404


Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404 was a Fokker F27 Friendship that disappeared shortly after takeoff on 25 August 1989. At 07:36, a domestic scheduled passenger flight of Pakistan International Airlines took off from the northern city of Gilgit, Pakistan on its way to the national capital Islamabad. One of the pilots of the aircraft made a routine radio call at 07:40; this was the last communication with the aircraft. The aircraft is thought to have crashed in the Himalayas, but the wreckage has never been found.

Aircraft

The aircraft was a Fokker F27-200 Friendship turboprop airliner, c/n 10207, built in 1962. It had accumulated approximately 44,524 hours of flying time; and 41,524 cycles at the time of the accident.

Search operation

After the disappearance, several aerial search missions were launched by the Pakistani military during the first three or four days. Later land search parties were organized, comprising civilian and armed forces personnel, to search the area around the mountain Nanga Parbat.