What makes flying in Nepal risky?

What makes flying in Nepal risky?

Nepal has a long and unfortunate history of plane crashes. According to the Aviation Safety Database, there have been 27 fatal plane crashes in Nepal in the last 30 years. More than 20 of them have happened in the last decade.

Lack of investment in remote hilly areas, new aircraft and infrastructure and inadequate regulation are responsible for these accidents.

Additionally, the runway is located in a hilly area under familiar weather conditions in a fast turn. In 2013, the European Union banned all airlines in Nepal due to security concerns.

In March 2022, the Kathmandu Post reported that the Government of Nepal was unable to maintain a credible EU aviation blacklist.

Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, located at an altitude of 1,338 meters above sea level, has the highest number of accidents in Nepal. The terrain is particularly difficult because it is located in a narrow elliptical valley and is surrounded by high, serrated hills. In other words, there is less space for aircraft.

However, most pilots claim that it is very difficult to navigate the steep, narrow landing areas of the upper Himalayas.

Small planes with turboprop engines, like the twin-engine planes that crashed today, can come here, not big jetliners. These small planes are more affected by severe weather in Nepal.

Some significant plane crashes

February 2019: Helicopter operated by Air Dynasty crashes on a hill while trying to return to Kathmandu. Seven passengers, including Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari and entrepreneur Angchiring Sherpa, were killed. He owned Yeti Air, Tara Air and Himalayan Airlines in partnership with Tibet Air. The disaster occurred because the area was experiencing poor visibility.

The government of Nepal had started an investigation into the accident. The preliminary report claims that the position of the fuel tank has been violated due to weight imbalance and improper arrangement of passenger seats.

Investigators reported by the Kathmandu Post that the pilot had "unnecessary pressure" to fly VIP passengers in bad weather.

March 2018: A Bombardier Q400 operated by Bangladesh Airlines, US-Bangladesh crashes at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on its way back from Dhaka, killing 71 passengers and 49 crew members.

The plane skidded off the runway, crashed into an airport fence, landed on a football field, and then exploded. It was the third deadliest plane crash in Nepal's history.

The accident caused much controversy and speculation, as both Kathmandu officials and the airlines blamed each other. Airport officials have claimed that the pilot did not follow the instructions of the control tower and entered the runway from the wrong direction. Imran Asif, CEO of US-Bangla Air, told reporters that there were "suspicions" that the control tower may have "misled the pilot".

According to the latest report published by Nepali officials in 2019, the captain of the plane and former member of the Bangladesh Air Force, Abid Sultan, appears to have had an "emotional breakdown". Investigators blamed the crash on the crew's failure to follow "standard operating procedures at critical stages of the flight."