How Pakistanis were Burnt Alive in Mysterious Flight 163 Because of Saudi Royal Family

By Pakistan Aviation Blog 

Date:	August 19, 1980
Location:	Near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Aircraft:	Lockheed 1011-200 TriStar
Reg:	HZ-AHK
Airline:	Saudi Arabian Airlines
Flight No:	163
Fatalities:	301 : 301

The burned out hull of a Saudi Arabian Lockheed L-1011. Although the plane landed safely, all 301 aboard died before rescue crews could reach them. The fire started in the aft cargo compartment and the crew failed to take immediate steps to evacuate the plane after landing.

Saudia Flight 163 was a scheduled passenger flight of Saudia that caught fire after takeoff from Riyadh International Airport (now the Riyadh Air Base) on a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, 19 August 1980. All 287 passengers and 14 crew on board the Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar registered HZ-AHK, died after the aircraft made an emergency landing back at the Riyadh airport.

It is deadliest aviation disaster that did not involve a crash on impact or mid-flight break up as Aircraft Landed Safely . it is the third deadliest aircraft disaster in the world overall, after the Tenerife airport disaster of 1977 and Turkish Airlines Flight 981. It was also the highest death toll of any aviation accident in Saudi Arabia and the highest death toll of any accident involving a Lockheed L-1011 anywhere in the world.

Passengers and crew

Saudi officials said that most of the passengers were Saudis or Pakistanis, with many of the passengers being Pakistani religious pilgrims. The aviation directorate stated that 82 of the passengers boarded in Karachi and, of the passengers who boarded in Riyadh, 32 were religious pilgrims from Iran. Diplomats in Jeddah said that in addition to the Iranian, Saudi and Pakistani passengers, there were four Koreans, three Britons, two Thais, one Finn, one Irishman, one Dutchman, two Americans and one Japanese on board the flight. The crew included six Filipinos, three Pakistanis, and one Briton. Both the pilot and co-pilot were Saudi nationals with the flight engineer being a United States national, Bradley Curtis.

Fire

Flight 163 took off at 18:08 GMT to complete its final leg to Jeddah. Almost seven minutes into the flight, the crew received warnings of smoke in the plane's aft cargo compartment, C3. The next four minutes were spent by the crew trying to confirm the warnings, and by the flight engineer going back into the cabin to confirm the presence of smoke in the cabin. The captain decided to return to the airport. The thrust lever for the number 2 engine (center engine) later became stuck as the fire burned through the operating cable, and the engine was shut down on final approach.

The captain declared an emergency and returned to Riyadh International Airport and landed safely. After touchdown, contrary to the captain's declaration of an emergency landing, the airplane,The airport fire rescue equipment were stationed at the landing section of the runway expecting an emergency stop and evacuation. 

According to Reliable sources in Aviation Circles the Sandia Arabia King or Some Royal was Arriving and Landing and his Plane could not be Delayed in spite of fire on Board the Airplane Flight 163 using the same Runway. 

The Aircraft was not allowed to stop on the runway for waiting Fire Crew and was asked to continue forward towards the end of end of the runway to the farthest end of runway about 4 KM away from where the Fire crew were standing .

After reaching the end of  runway, Flight 163 of Saudia Arabia Airline stopped on the taxiway , which exited from the Main Runway on which it had landed to give way to Kings Aircraft which had to use the same Runway.

All this all Cost about 2 minutes 40 seconds Precious time after touchdown. Precious 3 Minutes of times was wasted just because of VIP Saudi King Arrival which was inhuman and Disastrous for the flight which was on fire . What else one can expect from Illiterate and Stupid Kings of Saudia Arabia ????

Because the fire rescue equipment was at Landing Site and Plane was farther on Opposite end of runway and also exited to Taxi way Towards Airport Building . IT took extra time to arrive at the aircraft, which had used the entire length of a 4,000-metre (13,000 ft) runway to slow and exit onto a taxiway.

The aircraft stopped on the taxiway facing the opposite direction from landing. On arrival at the aircraft the rescue personnel did not immediately attempt to open any of the aircraft doors as the engines on the wings were still running. Engines were shut down another 6 minutes and 15 seconds after the aircraft touch down. There was no external fire visible at this time, but flames were observed through the windows at the rear of the aircraft.

IT took another 26 minutes after Touch to open the R2 door (second door on the right side) was opened by ground personnel as crew was not ,moving inside and was unconscious . Three minutes later after opening the door and 30th Minute after touch down, the aircraft burst into flames, and was consumed by fire.

Autopsies were conducted on some of the non-Saudi nationals including the American flight engineer. All perished from smoke inhalation and not burns, which indicated that they had died long before the R2 door was opened.

One final transmission was received after the plane stopped, indicating that the emergency evacuation was about to begin. All of the victims were found in the forward half of the fuselage.

Saudi reports stated that the crew could not get the plug-type doors to open in time or the door Jamed because of fire as door were electric operated like in DC-10. 

It is assumed that most passengers and flight attendants were incapacitated during the landing roll or they would not have attempted to open a door on a moving aircraft. 

It is known that the aircraft remained pressurized during the landing roll as the cabin pressurization system was on standby and the aircraft was found with both pressurization doors almost completely closed. These pressurization doors should have opened completely on touchdown to de-pressurize the aircraft. The crew were found still in their flight station seats. 

The source of the fire in the C3 is unknown.

Investigation

The investigation revealed that the fire had started in the aft C3 cargo compartment. The fire was intense enough to burn through the cabin floor, causing passengers seated in that area of the fire to move further forward in the cabin prior to the emergency landing.

Saudi officials subsequently found two butane stoves in the burned-out remains of the airliner, with a used fire extinguisher near one of them. Some Middle Eastern airlines used to allow devout Muslim passengers to use butane stoves on board in order to observe Islam's strict dietary laws - a practice unthinkable on Western airlines, One early report of the crash specifically blamed a passenger's use of a butane stove for the fire. The stove was supposedly used to prepare hot water for tea.

Lawsuit

Walter Muller, a former chief of the Policy Analysis Division of the Federal Aviation Administration, filed a lawsuit against Lockheed, Saudia, and Trans World Airlines, an American airline that trained Saudi pilots and supervised the Saudi maintenance program. 

Muller's brother, Jack A. Muller, and his sister in law, Elizabeth S. Muller, died in the fire. Muller's suit stated that Lockheed allowed for "dangerous materials to be incorporated in the fuselage," that there was no vent system to distribute the gases away from the passengers, and that a sufficient oxygen system did not exist. 

Muller's suit accused Saudia of not properly maintaining the aircraft and providing safety for passengers and accused TWA of not properly maintaining the Saudia aircraft and not properly training crew.

After the event, the airline revised its training and emergency procedures. Lockheed also removed the insulation from above the rear cargo area, and added glass laminatestructural reinforcement.

The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that aircraft use halomethane extinguishers instead of traditional hand-held fire extinguishers.

The Role of Saudi King was also Discussed in causing delay in Emergency Procedures but Hush Hush Prevailed .

Dramatization

In 1982 the television series World in Action aired an episode entitled "The Mystery of Flight 163" which documented the accident and was subsequently used to train pilots in the value of Crew resource management.

Role of Pakistan

It is so true that so many Pakistani Died about Flight 163 and yet Pakistan Government made a hush Hush over this Incident and also downplayed the cruel role off Saudi king and that of incompetent Saudia Aviation Delaying rescue of almost 30 Minutes when the doors were opened and people just died and burned inside while they could have been saved .

The Pious Jack Ass Generals Zia Dictator at command here in Pakistan and what could expect of thoroughbred Jack Ass like Gen Zia in front of his Saudi Master whom we feet Kiss and and kiss their behinds as they have  loads of money and they Pay our Mullahs/Taliban and Military Alliances and lives of Pakistanis are not important in the eyes of our Punjabi Establishment and Saudia Illiterate and stupid  Kings.

It is Relevant to mention the Generals Zia also died in Similar circumstances as Punishment for his role in this Incident and Allah Punished him for his silence in this Murder and was burnt Alive .

It is Mentioned in Al-Quran by God " When you Select something Bad for other Muslims and Allah will Put you in Similar Circumstances and this is what Happened that Gen Zia Killing also became a Plane |Crash Burnt victim  and a Mystery Engulfed his C-130 just 10 Years after  a Mystery Crash just like Flight of Saudia Airlines SV-163 a Mystery in 1980.

References

1. Jump up^ "ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 200 HZ-AHK Riyad International Airport (RUH)".
2. Jump up^ Witkin, Richard (11 February 1981). "Safety Board Urges Improvments In Fireproofing Of Jumbo Jets". The New York Times.
3. ^ Jump up to:^a b "Did stove cause disaster?". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. 21 August 1980.
4. ^ Jump up to:^a b "Mecca pilgrims among victims Gas stoves found in burned plane". The Globe and Mail. 29 August 1980.
5. ^ Jump up to:^a b c Haine, Edgar A. (2000). Disaster in the Air. Associated University Presses. pp. 67–69.
6. ^ Jump up to:^a b Official accident report "Saudi Arabian Airlines flight 163 Accident Report". Saudi Arabian Presidency of Civil Aviation. Retrieved June 2013. (Archive)
7. ^ Jump up to:^a b "Saudi Fire Negligence Suit Filed". Air Transport. Aviation Week & Space Technology. 27 October 1980. p. 32.
8. Jump up^ "Saudi Arabian Airlines flight 163 Accident Findings". Saudi Arabian Presidency of Civil Aviation. Retrieved June 2013. (Archive)
9. Jump up^ "This Day in History: August 19 - Fire on Saudi jet kills 301". The History Channel. Retrieved June 2013.
10. Jump up^ "Jetliner fire first started by stove; death toll set at 301". The Morning Record and Journal. United Press International. 21 August 1980. p. 22.
11. Jump up^ Witkin, Richard (17 October 1980). "Family Suing in Saudi Airliner Fire; Crew Found Partly at Fault". The New York Times.
12. Jump up^ Karlins, Marvin; Koh, Freddie; McCully, Len; Chan, C. T. (April 1996). "CRM for CRM: Cockpit Relevant Movies for Crew Resource Management" (96.2). The CRM Advocate. Retrieved June 2013.
13. Jump up^ "Crew Resource Management - Saudia 163 (Segments from the World in Action episode, The Mystery of Flight 163)" . Youtube. 11 June 2013. Retrieved June 2013.