PIA flight PK-404 disappeared shortly after taking off from Gilgit Airport on the morning of 25 August 1989. Several aerial search missions were launched by the Pakistani military during the first three or four days. No trace of the aircraft wreckage has been found to date.
On August 25, 1989, Pakistan International Airlines PIA Flight PK-404, a Fokker F27 Friendship aircraft, took off from Gilgit airport en route to Islamabad. The plane was carrying 54 people—49 passengers and five crew members. The plane got disappeared shortly after takeoff, and despite extensive search efforts, it was never found.
The last known contact with the aircraft was a routine radio call made by one of the pilots at 7:40 am, just minutes after the plane left Gilgit. It is believed that the aircraft crashed somewhere in the Himalayas, but no wreckage has ever been located.
Various theories have emerged over the years. The most common includes speculation that the Indian Army may have shot the plane down near the Line of Control. Although no evidence has been found to support this claim.
In the immediate aftermath, Pakistani military forces launched several aerial and ground search operations. They mainly focused on the mountainous region around Nanga Parbat, one of the tallest peaks in the world. However, no trace of the aircraft or its passengers was discovered despite their efforts.
Echoes Of Grief
Jabeen, who is also from Gilgit-Baltistan, said her uncle was in his 20s and was a bright student. “My father gets sad whenever he remembers him and that’s how it saddens all of us“. Khursheed Khan lost his elder brother, Qari Basheer Ahmed, in the incident.
“There have been many versions to this mystery. The one I lived with is that it was shot down by India for allegedly crossing the Line of Control,” says Jan.
Even decades after the tragedy, relatives of the victims wonder why successive governments have closed the chapter on the sad episode. The disappearance of Flight PK-404 remains an unsolved mystery, leaving the families of the victims in enduring pain. Each year, they relive the horror of that day, mourning the loss of their loved ones and grappling with the uncertainty surrounding their fate.
