With at least 68 plane accidents so far in Nepal, but why so many plane accidents happen in Himalayan region’s Nepal.
In a recent plane accident in Nepal killed 19 people Wednesday morning (Today). The Saurya Airlines plane crashed in Nepal around 11.15 am after it skidded off he runway during take-off from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
With 19 killed person, the airline pilot was only the sole survivor in the crash. After the crash the pilot was transported to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital for their treatment. The pilot sustained injuries to the eyes but is not any danger said a doctor cited by Associate Press.
The plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a field east of the runway said airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri to News Agency Reuters.
So Many Plane Crashed In Nepal
There is a history of plane crash in Nepal. In 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet skidded off a runway at same airport while landing in dense fog. By chance no serious injury happen to any people who was sitting inside the plane, there was total 238 people on that plane.
In 2019, a Bangladeshi airliner crashed at Tribhuvan airport that killed total of 51 people only 20 has survived by this disaster. An investigation revealed that the plane was misaligned with the runway and the pilot was disoriented, attempting land in Sheer desperation.
In May 2022, a Tara airplane had crashed and killed all 22 people who was travelling by this plane. In the last decade alone, there was total 20 plane crashed happened in Nepal.
In January 2023, a Yeti Airlines plane carrying total 72 people including 4 crew members crashed a few kilometers away from Pokhara International Airport.
Reason Behind the Plane Crash
CAAN, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has recoded that at least 68 plane accidents in the country since 1955 and 44 of them was badly crashed.
Corruption
Corruption is one of the major problem behind the plane crash. The CAAN is the service provider and regulator of the aviation sector in Nepal. There was several information that tells they are not best service provider. The European Union has impose a ban on Nepali Airlines flying in European airspace.
Poor Aircraft and Pilot Indiscipline
Most of the aircraft operating in Nepal are not brand new. They cost of lot and flying them may not have beneficial in an economically backward nation, reported by Al Jazeera.
Nepal flights have close links to influential political leaders who shield them from scrutiny, even they flout the safety regulations. Some airports lack simple fencing, parking and emergency vehicle standard.
The Nepali pilots have lack of discipline. Report by Diplomat, 3 Nepali airlines corporation pilot barred from flying after they disobeyed instructions from the air traffic control specialists in Hongkong. Two more pilots have been grounded for failure to adhere to ATC’s instructions.
Besides this some weather also creates problem in flying aircraft in Himalayan, the weather changes quickly due to Himalayas, which makes it tricky for even the seasoned pilots to fly the plane. This is why Nepal’s aviation largely depends on a limited type of aircraft such as Twin Otters and Dorniers.