A team of technical experts from the Airbus aerospace company arrived in Pakistan for an independent probe into the PIA plane crash involving its aircraft in which 97 people were killed in one of the most catastrophic aviation disasters in the country's history, according to a media report on Tuesday. The team of experts from an Airbus facility in the French city of Toulouse will inspect the runway of the Jinnah International Airport here and the mishap site where the national flag carrier's flight PK-8303 from Lahore crash landed on Friday, Geo News reported.

The Netherlands-headquartered international aerospace company will run an independent investigation into the plane crash, involving an Airbus A-320, reportedly due to an engine failure, it said. Soon after the incident, Pakistani authorities had cordoned off the mishap site and banned the transfer of objects until the Airbus team arrived to carry out a formal investigation, according to the report. The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Air France will assist the plane manufacturer which does not have any conclusive details yet, it said. Airbus, in a letter to all the airlines operating the A-320 narrow-body jets, has vowed to provide full technical cooperation to the PIA, Air France and engine manufacturer CFM International.