Tragic Nepal Plane Crash of Yeti Airlines Flight Claims 72 Lives
The pilot of the flight that crashed in Nepal on Sunday did not report any issues prior to the incident, according to a spokesman. Anup Joshi said that the weather conditions were good, with clear mountains and good visibility, and there was a light wind. There were 72 passengers and crew aboard the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, and no survivors are believed to have been found. The crash is the deadliest in Nepal in 30 years. The government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the disaster and the prime minister declared Monday a national day of mourning. The pilot had requested a change from the assigned runway 3 to runway 1, which was granted by the airport. The flight data and voice recorders have been recovered and are being used to determine the cause of the crash.
Pilot of Nepal Plane Crash Did Not Report any Issues, Weather was Good
On both sides of the gorge where the plane crashed, hundreds of local residents witnessed the incident. One local, Indra Prasad Saptoka, reported seeing the plane turn on its side before it crashed, and was grateful that it landed away from nearby houses. Another local, Divya Dhakal, rushed to the crash site after seeing the aircraft fall from the sky and reported that the pilot had made an effort to avoid hitting any homes or populated areas. The crash occurred in a small, remote area beside the Seti River. Aviation accidents are not uncommon in Nepal, due to the country’s hazardous terrain and unpredictable weather conditions. The Himalayan nation is known for its challenging terrain and beautiful mountain ranges, which can make navigation difficult.
Nepal’s Poor Aviation Safety Standards and Lack of Investment in New Aircraft Blamed for Deadly Crash
In addition to the hazardous terrain and unpredictable weather conditions, a lack of investment in new aircraft and poor regulation have also been cited as contributing factors to the frequency of aviation accidents in Nepal. The European Union has banned Nepalese airlines from flying in its airspace due to concerns about training and maintenance standards. A Tara Air plane crashed in northern Nepal in May 2022, killing 22 people and another crash in 2018 killed 51 people.
EU Ban on Nepalese Airlines over Concerns about Training and Maintenance Standards.
Chiranjibi Paudel, whose journalist brother was on the flight, stated that action must be taken to improve aviation safety in Nepal. He called for the airlines to be penalized and for the government’s regulatory body to be held accountable for the crash. The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara took off at 10:30 am local time, and had a total of 72 passengers on board, with 53 Nepalese, 5 Indians, 4 Russians, 2 Koreans, 1 from Ireland, 1 from Australia, 1 from Argentina, and 1 from France among others. Read our column click here..
