All 18 people on board died when a passenger plane crashed on takeoff in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the pilot was saved from the flaming wreckage, according to authorities in the Nepali capital, who spoke to AFP.
Nepal’s aviation safety record is appalling over the years, the Himalayan nation has experienced a number of fatal light aircraft and helicopter incidents.
The Saurya Airlines flight was carrying two crew members and 17 employees.
Nepali police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP. “The pilot has been rescued and is being treated,” she said.
“Eighteen bodies have been found, including one foreigner. We are in the process of transporting them for post-mortem.” Gyanendra Bhul of Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority told AFP that the flight was for technical or maintenance purposes.
The one foreigner on board was not of a nationality that Bahadur and Bhul could verify.
The plane’s fuselage was burned to a husk in photos that the Nepalese military released after the incident. There were about a dozen camouflaged soldiers standing on the debris, the surrounding dirt treated with fire retardant.
According to a statement from the military, the aircraft crashed at approximately 11:15 am (0530 GMT), and the army’s quick response team was helping with the rescue attempts.
The aircraft skidded on the runway and caught fire, according to news outlet Khabarhub. The aircraft was due to go on the busiest aviation route in Nepal, which connects Kathmandu and Pokhara, a popular tourist destination in the Himalayan nation.
On its website, Saurya Airlines states that it only operates Bombardier CRJ 200 aircraft.
Nepal’s air industry has expanded in recent years, transporting goods and people between remote places, as well as foreign trekkers and climbers.
Due to safety concerns, the European Union has barred all Nepali carriers from its airspace.
Situated between snow-capped hills, the Himalayan nation has some of the world’s most difficult runways for landings, with approaches that can be difficult even for seasoned pilots. In the highlands, the weather can also change suddenly, making flying hazardous.
The latest significant commercial aviation mishap in Nepal occurred in January 2023 when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed during Pokhara’s landing, killing all 72 people on board.
That was the deadliest catastrophe to occur in Nepal since the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines plane on approach to Kathmandu airport in 1992, which claimed the lives of all 167 people on board.
A Thai Airways plane had crashed close to the same airport earlier that year, killing 113 people.
Why this matters
Nepal has a history of aviation accidents, often attributed to challenging terrain, rapidly changing weather conditions, and sometimes inadequate safety standards.
The mountainous landscape makes flying particularly difficult, requiring pilots to be highly skilled and prepared for sudden changes in weather.
This latest crash adds to the record and underscores the need for continuous improvements in safety protocols and pilot training
Bottom Line
Such accidents can have a profound impact on the aviation industry in Nepal, affecting public confidence in air travel and potentially leading to stricter regulations.
The incident could prompt a reevaluation of safety measures, training programs, and emergency response strategies to prevent future tragedies.
