Kathmandu: Nepal have been witnessing air crash in a regular intervals, particularly of domestic flights. Small and medium sized planes have to face such incidents which have made a safest mode of transport into a questionable one. People have been asking questions regarding the safety standard of the planes. The government used to form high level investigation team to inquire about the cause of the incidents and suggest for further improvements. But questions remain unanswered: why do planes crash in a regular interval? Whom to blame for these incidents?
The Yeti Airlines 72-seats ATR plane crash in Pokhara on January 15, 2023 has again raised eyebrows of many Nepalese. All the 72 people (68 passengers and 4 crew members) onboard died when the plane was preparing to land in the newly opened Pokhara International Airport. The new airport was commissioned on January 1, 2023. According to officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the weather condition was good and the pilots didn’t complain about technical issues to the Pokhara airport tower. However, as local people said the plane sharply turned and crashed landed into the gorge of Seti river. After the crash, the plane caught with fire and huge plume of smoke emerged.
Whom to blame?
The government has immediately formed a fact-finding team. As of now, actual cause of accident could not be established. Many experts in Kathmandu speculate that it was an accident of human error in the first place. But both pilots were experienced and flying regularly to Pokhara. Even in the day of accident, January 15, 2023, the same team of pilots carried out a morning flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. It was their second flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
However, some experts believe that the plane was flying very low and could not turn itself in the last moment. Within a fraction of moments, the plane crashed landed. Technically, it was believed that the ATR plane was safe to fly and it was the first ATR plane to crash in Nepal’s aviation history. Buddha Air is also using ATR planes for a long time. According to reports, Yeti Airlines also followed all the safety rules and standards.
Old planes paying the most?
Nepalese across Nepal and abroad feel that the airlines companies have been grossly ignoring safety standards. Many have poured their anger over the behaviour of airlines staff in social media. The airlines companies have been using old planes, already outdated, they claim. Their concern and grievances could not be heard. Or the government authorities simply ignore people’s concerns. The companies with political affiliations, often ignore CAAN’s guidelines and inspection. No authorised agency has raised question over the flying of the aircraft by co-pilot. Sources claim that the companies will bear no loss from these incidents, rather they earn through insurance claims. Because of these issues, the price of accident have to be born by common people.
Nepal’s sky safe for travel?
According to aviation experts, Nepal’s sky is challenging to every pilots. Each and every moment, the pilots must always think over changing weather of Nepali sky. According to a 2019 safety report from Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Nepal’s “hostile topography” and “diverse weather patterns” were the biggest dangers to flights in the country.
Historical facts
The first international air crash in Nepal took place at Simara in Bara district in 1955, when two people lost their lives in a Kaliga Air plane crash. Similarly, in 1956 and 1958, two planes of Indian Airlines crashed in Nepal killing a total of 34 passengers.
Similarly, in 1992, a Thai Air plane crashed, killing 113 people. In 1992, a Pakistan Airlines plane crashed killing 157 people on board.
In 1990, a Lufthansa Air plane crashed and five people died. In 2014, there were no human casualties in the Turkish Air plane crash during landing at TIA.
In April 2019, at least three people died when a Summit Air plane rammed into a helicopter near the runway at Solukhumbu’s Lukla Airport. Similarly, in February 2019, an Air Dynasty helicopter crashed near Pathibhara in Taplejung, killing seven people, including the then Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari.
In September 2018, a Japanese tourist and five other people died when an Altitude Air helicopter coming from Gorkha to Kathmandu crashed in a forest between Dhading and Nuwakot. In March 2018, a US Bangla Airlines flight from Bangladesh to Nepal crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 51 people.
Similarly, on May 29, 22 people were killed in an accident involving a Twin Otter plane of Tara Air, a sister organization of Yeti Airlines, in Mustang.
If we look at the history of air accidents in Nepal, six dozen aircraft have crashed so far. On June 9, 1991, a plane of Nepal Airlines Corporation met with an accident. Fourteen people, including three crew members, died when the plane, which was flying from Kathmandu to Lukla, crashed.
In 16 plane and helicopter crashes that took place since 2006, a total of 319 passengers were killed.
January 2023: A Yeti Airlines ATR aircraft crashed in Pokhara, 72 confirmed to have died.
May 2022: A Tara Airplane with 22 people on board crashed in mountainous Mustang district.
April 2019: A Summit Air airplane crashed in Lukla Airport and three people died there.
February 2019: An Air Dynasty helicopter crashed in Taplejung, killing Nepal’s Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari along with six others.
September 2018: Six people were killed in Altitude Air helicopter crash at the border of Dhading and Nuwakot
March 2018: 51 people were killed on 12 March 2018 when a US-Bangla airline carrying 67 passengers and four crew members crashed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International airport.
February 2016: An Air Kasthamandap aircraft with 11 people on board crashed in Kalikot district of Nepal.
May 2015: A US Marine Corps squadron crashed in the Charikot region killing 13 people.
February 2014: 18 people were killed when Nepal Airlines Corporation plane crashed in Arghakhachi
September 2012: Sita Air aircraft crashed near Tribhuvan International Airport killing 19 people, while taking off for Lukla from Kathmandu
May 2012: An Agni Air plane with 19 people on board crashed while flying from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.
September 2011: A Beechcraft 1900D operated by Buddha Air that was carrying tourists on a sightseeing trip around Mount Everest, collided with a hill. All 14 people on board died.
December 2010: An aircraft of Tara Air en route Lamidada-Kathmandu crashed in Okhaldhunga, killing 22 people
August 2010: An aircraft of Agni Air took off for Lukla from Kathmandu crashed and 14 people died.
October 2008: 18 people killed in a plane crash of Yeti Airlines while landing at Lukla Airport
September 2006: A Shree Air helicopter crashed on a chartered flight in Eastern Nepal killing all the 24 passengers on board including the crew members.
