How pilot survived Nepal plane crash that killed everyone else onboard
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The Saurya Airlines plane crash at Kathmandu airport in Nepal was likely survived by the pilot because the cockpit became stuck on a container, according to civil aviation minister Badri Pandey.
The tiny plane hit a container on the outskirts of Tribhuvan International Airport, with the cockpit becoming stuck inside.
Captain Manish Ratna Shakya was saved from the front part of the plane only five minutes after the accident. He got hurt in his head and face and will need an operation for the broken bones in his back.
"The pilot is alive and in a steady state," stated Dan Bahadur Karki, a spokesperson for the Nepal police. "It's truly a miracle."
Senior police officer Dambar Bishwakarma informed the BBC that the pilot was experiencing trouble with his breathing when he was discovered.
"We smashed the window and quickly removed him," he explained. "He had blood on his face when we brought him out, but we got him to the hospital in a state where he could talk."
The CRJ 200 aircraft heading to Pokhara had 19 individuals on board, mainly crew and technical team members, but no paying customers, when the accident happened shortly after 11am local time. The pilot was the only person to survive the crash.
Reuters reported that a plane was carrying technicians to Pokhara, where a different aircraft needed repairs. As the plane was taking off, it flipped over, hit the ground with its wing, and then caught on fire before crashing into a gorge.
"I heard a strange noise. It was a loud explosion, similar to a bomb," a witness reported to The Kathmandu Post.
Just a little while after leaving the runway 2, the plane went off course to the right and crashed on the eastern side of the runway, according to the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority.
According to Mr. Pandey, the main body of the aircraft broke apart and collided with the incline of the small airport before bouncing 50 meters away and eventually settling on the wet ground. "The remaining section of the aircraft hit a nearby mound and broke into pieces," he explained.
The reason behind the crash is still unknown. However, after examining the footage of the incident, specialists believe that it could have been due to a "climb failure". This means that the plane was unable to gain height during takeoff, as reported by The Indian Express.
There are various reasons why a climb might not be successful, such as the engine suddenly stopping working, incorrect calculation of weight before taking off, technical problems, or mistakes made by the pilot.
The weather on Wednesday morning was usual for the monsoon season, with poor visibility but no precipitation.
Dirga Bahadur Khadka, co-pilot Sushant Katwal's great-uncle, who tragically lost his life in the accident, accused the airline. He expressed his belief that the company may have forced the pilots to operate the aircraft, as reported by The Kathmandu Post.
Otherwise, nobody would want to pilot a plane that has technical issues. This also brings up a concern about the civil aviation authority, the regulator of the aviation industry. How could they permit planes with technical problems to take flight?
Saurya Airlines has been facing financial difficulties for an extended period, which were made even worse by the Covid pandemic. The airline had planned to transition to ATR-72 aircraft last year and assured passengers that safety standards would be maintained until the new planes were introduced. Unfortunately, Saurya Airlines was unable to secure the funding needed to replace its fleet as originally intended.
A study will find out the specific reason behind the accident.
The Independent has contacted the airline for a response.
Nepal has faced many challenges in aviation because of its rugged landscape and unpredictable weather patterns in the country.
According to The Kathmandu Post, the most recent accident was the 105th since the country began operating flights in the 1950s, as reported by the civil aviation agency.
The organization that keeps track of plane crashes, known as the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, has documented 69 instances of aviation accidents in the mountainous region of the Himalayas dating back to 1946. These accidents have resulted in approximately 900 deaths.
In Nepal, there is worry about the old age and lack of proper equipment and maintenance of many airplanes. According to Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights, they were unable to track the crashed Saurya Airlines flight because the plane did not have a modern ADS-B transponder.
In 2013, the European Union stopped all planes from Nepal from flying into its airspace. This was because Nepal did not have proper rules and enforcement for aviation safety. The EU used information from different places and talked to Nepalese aviation authorities and airlines to explain why they made this decision.
Last December, the European Commission chose to continue the prohibition because safety issues were still a concern.
It acknowledged the efforts of the Nepalese Civil Aviation Authority in enhancing safety regulations, but expressed doubt regarding the agency's ability to comply with global standards.
In August 2022, the United Nations organization for air travel, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, requested Nepal to divide its Civil Aviation Authority into distinct regulatory and operational bodies.
The division is an important change that has supposedly been waiting to happen for the last fifteen years.
In July 2023, Nepal's tourism ministry tried to make new rules so they could pass a safety check from the EU. They wanted to make an independent group to regulate aviation. The government stopped them from doing this.
Marco Chan, who teaches aviation operations at Buckinghamshire New University’s School of Aviation and Security, mentioned that Tribhuvan International Airport is dealing with difficulties because it is located at a high elevation of 4,390 feet and has mountainous surroundings.
"It's worth mentioning that pilots need to fly at least 21,100 feet above ground when within 25 nautical miles of the airport's navigation aid. This requirement impacts the flight paths designed to avoid the surrounding terrain. Because of these factors, the airport is categorized as a category C airport. This means that pilots must have extra qualifications and training in order to safely operate flights to and from the airport," stated the spokesperson in a message provided to The Independent.
In this situation, 'high elevation' refers to the airport being located in a place with thinner air. This means that planes will need to go faster during takeoff and may need a longer runway. Also, the engine will not have as much power as it would at sea level.
However, Mr. Chan pointed out that the recent airplane accident may have been caused by a malfunction in the engine or a stall, potentially due to the incorrect positioning of the flaps.
