The news of a flight that crashed in Jomsom on Thursday morning left everyone relieved (in the end). There were no causalities. All 21 passengers, including the crew, were safe, although there were a few injuries. Even though this is a cause for relief, the disturbing trend that the crash perpetuates deserves a closer scrutiny. Nepal has witnessed an alarming number of plane accidents in the past few years. In a land without extensive road connections, where many remote areas are connected only by flights, air travel assumes great importance and it is in the interest of every Nepali to reduce the number of flight accidents. Due to its high mountains, high winds, and unpredictable weather, Nepal is extremely vulnerable to flight accidents. High altitude airports of Nepal like Juphal and Lukla are often featured in the lists of “most dangerous airports in the world.” However, that does not mean that we can take accidents for granted. Many accidents can be prevented.
According to Aviation Safety Foundation, an organization that provides information about airline accidents and safety issues, the level of implementation of critical elements of safety is pretty low in Nepal compared to worldwide standards. The state’s oversight of aviation safety leaves much to be desired, and Nepal is lagging behind in technical guidance, tools, and Information. Safety concerns are usually not resolved to satisfaction in Nepal as compared to other countries, and Nepal has fewer regulations and legislations concerning flights compared to the world average. Even though Nepal is almost at par with world standards in licensing, certification, and authorization, as well as surveillance obligations, alarmingly, the qualification and training of technical personnel is almost nonexistent.
The cause of the accident at Jomsom is yet unknown. Since the purpose of flight crash investigations is to prevent future accidents and not to apportion blame, the exact causes may never be known. Statistics show that half of plane accidents take place because of pilot’s error. Thus great care should be taken to ensure that pilots are not overburdened, especially when flying to treacherous mountain locations. Small aircrafts are often buffeted by winds in these locations, and the combination of fog, which reduces vision, and mountain peaks, which are fatal to aircrafts, create a veritable minefield, requiring pilots to be more vigilant than in normal circumstances.
The state of the aircraft itself is also very important, especially in the aforesaid locations where advanced aircrafts can withstand the weather conditions better and make passengers feel safer. The old and outdated aircrafts of Nepal Airlines must be replaced with new ones. Pilots as well as technical personnel should be better trained, an area in which Nepal has been lagging far behind the rest of the world. If we are serious about making Nepal’s skies safer, the issues with critical elements of safety oversight systems must be addressed immediately. Besides the obvious benefit of ensuring the safety of passengers, such steps will also contribute to Nepal’s tourism industry by helping promote Nepal’s image as a safe spot for tourists.
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