Plane of Pakistani father-son duo flying around the world crashes into the Pacific

The plane of father-son duo attempting to fly around the world in 30 days, crashed into the Pacific near the American Samoa Islands, Express News reported.

The father-son duo of Babar Suleman and Haris Suleman were flying from American Samoa Island to Hawaii when their plane crashed shortly after taking off from Pago Pago International Airport in the the American Samoa Islands.

Hiba Suleman, Haris’s, confirmed on her Facebook account that the body of her brother had been recovered, while rescue teams are still searching for her father.

Haris’s uncle Air Vice Marshal Abid Rao confirmed to The Express Tribune that the plane which was a single engine aircraft, crashed near Pago Pago Island when the father son duo had left it for Hawaii. ‘We are very sad. It was the last leg of their trip, a journey of 13-14 hours. But their plane crashed within two minutes after they took off.’ He said that the incident took place between 6 to 6:30 pm PST.

According to him, Haris’s body has been recovered while Babar and the plane wreckage has yet to be found.

Last known location of the plane. PHOTO: dev.trootrax.com

Mian Washim, A Pakistani-American businessman and close family friend of Suleman family told The Express Tribune: ” There is no indication as to why the crash happened except that the crash site was about one mile from the end of the runway and out to sea.”

“It is very unlikely they had reached an altitude that enabled them to contact the Air Traffic Control in Samoa,” said Washim.

“The area [where plane crashed] is in the New Zealand SAR region and it was New Zealand SAR that received a distress signal from the aircraft. The timing of the signal (possibly a satellite ping) put it very close to the crash site when transmitted.

“Haris’s body was found soon after the arrival of the rescue boat sent from the island’s Fire and Crash service. There was an active locator beacon working but no information as to whether it was attached to Haris’s life jacket or not.

There is no information as to the condition or status of the aircraft.”

Since a large portion of their trip was to take place over water, their plane had been stocked with relief equipment life rafts, and “gumby” suits for ocean survival in the event of an ocean landing.

Gumby suits are only worn by the pilots while flying over water for extended periods of time.

This, however, seems to not have provided them protection from a crash.

Seventeen year old Haris was the youngest Pilot in Command to attempt circumnavigating the world in a single engine plane.

The trip which started on June 19 in Indiana, US, was aimed at education for underprivileged children and raising funds for The Citizens Foundation. The trip stretched over five continents, a journey across three oceans, and landings in 15 countries – Suleman touched down in Reykjavik, Crete, Aswan (Egypt), Nagpur (India), Bali, Nadi (Fiji), Pago Pago (American Samoa). Kiribati (Christmas Island), and Kona (Hawaii) were amongst the cities he would have landed in.

His Pakistan leg of the journey included stops in Lahore, Sargodha and Islamabad