JUMLA, June 10: A Tara Air plane headed for Jumla from Nepalgunj escaped a potential disaster while landing at Jumla Airport. The plane which took off from Nepalgunj at about 2:15 pm on Saturday faced a problem while landing after one of its tires punctured on the runway. The twin otter plane with call sign 9N CV skidded off the runway into a grassy field before coming to a halt. 

According to DSP Tapan Kumar Dahal, chief of District Police Office, Jumla, the plane traveled about 50 meters off the runway. He informed that the nose of the plane got stuck in the fence in the boundary of the airport, bringing the aircraft to a halt.

All the 19 people on board including the flight crew are said to be safe. The nose of the plane is still stuck in the barbed wire.

DSP Dahal praised the flight crew for saving the plane and averting casualties. An eyewitness Maya Lal Devkota said that the plane would have crashed into the nearby settlement had the pilots not steered it properly. 

“The plane jumped immediately after landing, he said. 

“We could hear the passengers screaming. People who had come to the airport to receive their relatives were crying. Everyone was relieved when the plane, which was tilting toward the right side, stopped at the fence,” he added.

The plane was being manned by Captain JK Niraula and co-pilot Hikmat Rokaya. Rokaya is from Jumla.

Immediately after receiving the news of the accident, Nepal Police, Nepal Army and Armed Police Force personnel were mobilized for rescue. 

 “I was saddened by the news, but when I saw that all the passengers on board were safe, I was very happy,” said Chief District Officer (CDO) of Jumla, Bishnu Poudel.

Head of operations of the airport, Kailash Sharma, said that the plane which was very balanced during the flight and even during the initial touchdown saw its front tire blast all of a sudden. The pilot tried to stop the plane but the tire’s rim fell apart. When it apparently seemed that the plane could not be saved, it stuck on the fence. The flight crew has already returned to Kathmandu on another Tara Air plane.

A total of three crashes have occurred at the airport claiming the life of 12 people so far.

 
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