A Saurya Airlines plane crashed while taking off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal on Wednesday, as reported by The Kathmandu Post. The plane, heading to Pokhara, had 19 people on board, including the crew. The accident happened around 11 am local time, according to Premnath Thakur, spokesperson for the airport.
At least 18 people lost their lives when a Saurya Airlines flight, with 19 people on board, slid off the runway during takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday morning.
Nepal experiences around one airplane accident each year on average. Since 2010, there have been at least 12 deadly plane crashes in the Himalayan country, including the most recent incident.
Crash History
In January 2023, a tragic accident occurred when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed near the city of Pokhara in Nepal. The plane, carrying 72 people, including passengers and crew, crashed into a steep gorge and broke apart, catching fire as it neared Pokhara. Everyone on board lost their lives in the crash.
On May 29, 2022, a Tara Air plane crashed in Mustang district, Nepal. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 22 people who were on board the aircraft.
In 2018, a serious accident happened near Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport involving a US-Bangla Airlines flight. The plane crash-landed, resulting in the deaths of 51 people. Another 20 people were seriously injured in the incident.
The Reason behind the Crash
Nepal experiences a high rate of airplane accidents due to a combination of factors, including its challenging mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather conditions, and limitations in aviation infrastructure and safety oversight.
More than 90% of fatalities in Nepal’s plane crashes have occurred when aircraft have hit mountains, often due to poor visibility caused by clouds or fog. This phenomenon, known as Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), is a major factor in Nepal’s high accident rate.
Nepal’s rugged Himalayan landscape presents significant challenges for aviation. Many airports are located at high altitudes with short runways, surrounded by towering peaks.
Nepal’s aviation infrastructure, particularly in remote areas, often lacks modern navigational aids, weather forecasting equipment, and instrument landing systems. This makes it difficult for pilots to accurately determine their position and altitude, especially during poor weather conditions. While Nepal has made efforts to improve pilot training, some argue that more can be done to ensure pilots are adequately prepared for the unique challenges of flying in the Himalayas.
Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of Nepal’s aviation regulatory body, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), in enforcing safety standards and conducting thorough accident investigations. A 2018 audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) found Nepal’s accident investigation capabilities to be well below global averages.
