A plane crash in Nepal that killed 72 people, including two infants, was most probably the result of its pilots mistakenly cutting the power, a government investigators report reveals.
According to the report, this caused a loss of thrust that led to an “aerodynamic stall.”
On January 15, a Yeti Airlines flight was flying from Kathmandu to the tourist destination of Pokhara.
It is the deadliest plane disaster in the country in 30 years.
The ATR 72 flight on January 15 was the flight crew’s third sector of the day, connecting Kathmandu and Pokhara.
It is the deadliest plane disaster in the country in 30 years.
The ATR 72 flight on January 15 was the flight crew’s third sector of the day, connecting Kathmandu and Pokhara.
The privately owned jet crashed just 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) from the airport, prompting a rescue mission involving hundreds of Nepalese military personnel.
“Due to its momentum, the aircraft flew for up to 49 seconds before hitting the ground,” aeronautical engineer Dipak Prasad Bastola, a member of the investigating panel, told reporters.
He indicated that the pilots had most likely set the condition levers, which govern power, in the feathering position instead of selecting the flap lever. According to Mr. Bastola, this led the engine to “run idle and not produce thrust.”
“Following the un-intentional feathering of both engine propellers, the flight crew failed to identify the problem and take corrective actions despite the Crew Alerting Panel cautions,” the report said.
A lack of suitable technical and skill-based training, a high workload and stress, and non-compliance with standard operating procedures were also mentioned as contributing reasons to the disaster in the report.
It further stated that the aircraft had been adequately maintained, that there were no known flaws, and that the cockpit crew had been qualified in compliance with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s norms and regulations.
The probe involves more than a dozen investigators from the United States, Canada, France, and Singapore.
It further stated that the aircraft had been adequately maintained, that there were no known flaws, and that the cockpit crew had been qualified in compliance with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s norms and regulations.
The probe involves more than a dozen investigators from the United States, Canada, France, and Singapore.
The European Union has barred Nepalese planes from using its airspace for the past decade due to safety concerns.
Aviation accidents are not uncommon in Nepal, owing to the country’s distant runways and unpredictable weather patterns. Yeti Airlines’ Tara Air Flight 197 crashed into a mountaintop last May, killing 22 passengers and crew.
Aviation accidents are not uncommon in Nepal, owing to the country’s distant runways and unpredictable weather patterns. Yeti Airlines’ Tara Air Flight 197 crashed into a mountaintop last May, killing 22 passengers and crew.
