A PROBE into the horrific plane crash in Pakistan last month has found that the pilots were "distracted" while talking about the coronavirus and failed to carry out a set of essential procedures before landing.

97 people were killed when a Pakistan International Airlines jet crashed en route to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on May 22.

 Today, the country's aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that "human error" on the part of the pilot and co-pilot as well as air traffic control caused the plane crash.

The probe also found that the Airbus A320 aircraft was "100% fit to fly", which contradicts previous claims that the crash had resulted from an engine failure.

Presenting the findings of the investigation in parliament, Mr Khan said that the pilots were "not focused" because of the coronavirus, and were "overconfident" when approaching landing.

He said: "The pilot and co-pilot were not focused and throughout they were having a conversation about corona.

"The [virus] was on their minds. Their families were affected and they were having a discussion about it".

The pilot and co-pilot were not focused and throughout they were having a conversation about corona

The report also found that the pilots "ignored instructions" from air traffic control, who warned them against landing while approaching the runway as the plane was flying at an altitude almost 5,000 feet too high.

Mr Khan added: "When they were in landing position, they were warned by the controllers, but he said, 'I'll manage' and then they started discussing corona again."

The aircraft had briefly scraped the runway before the pilots decided to abort the landing, causing significant damage to the landing gear.

It then spent 17 minutes in the air before attempting to land again, the probe added, but the pilots failed to inform air traffic control that the landing gear had locked up again.

The aircraft then plummeted 1,340 meters short of the runway into a residential area of Karachi destroying 29 properties, with Mr Khan today confirming that the owners of the properties would be fully compensated.

Shockingly, the report also found that fragments of the engine were left strewed across the runway for twelve hours – posing a significant danger for other aircraft.

Pictures emerging from the scene show bodies being carried away from the wreckage by emergency workers.

Only two people survived the horrific crash, with one survivor telling the BBC that "no-none was aware that the plane was about to crash".

Writing at the time, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: "Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash. . . Immediate inquiry will be instituted."

“Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased."

Pakistan has been hard hit by coronavirus, which grounded most flights in the country which was under a strict lockdown.

The crash came just days after the country allowed commercial flights to resume.

So far, Pakistan has recorded more than 188,000 cases and 1,346 deaths since February, when it reported its first confirmed case.

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