Operational, human errors blamed for Yeti aircraft crash

KATMANDU, July 13: Operational and human errors are attributed to the aircraft crash at Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha airport nine months ago, according to a report prepared by the commission formed to probe the crash.

Various machines of the plane broke down and a lack of coordination between the pilot, crew members and airport tower are blamed, said the report, adding that the baulk failure caused the aircraft to make a runway excursion.

The plane (9N-AIB) of Yeti Airlines slipped around 130 meters away and crashed into an airport boundary fence upon touchdown on September 24, 2016. The aircraft had flown to Bhairahawa from Kathmandu. No human casualties were reported in the crash.

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The report has also suggested the need for concerned airlines to consult with the seller about operation functioning of the purchased aircraft and for regulatory agency to monitor effectively, stating that such incidents of plane crash had also occurred time and again in the past.

Meanwhile, receiving the report, acting secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Suresh Acharya pledged to implement suggestions made by the report at the earliest.

The commission was formed a year ago under the chairmanship of former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajesh Raj Dali.

Captain of Goma Air Binod Puri and engineer Ramesh Kumar Singh are other members while under secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Hari Bahadur Khadka is member-secretary.

Likewise, an engine failure is blamed for the plane crash near Simikot airport in Humla 11 months ago, said a report prepared by the commission formed to investigate the crash.

According to the report submitted to the government amid a function today, the crash occurred on August 4, 2016 when the aircraft (C208B) belonging to Makalu Air suffered an engine breakdown while making an emergency landing on the river bank. The plane had crashed some minutes after it took off from Simikot airport to Surkhet. RSS