Dangerous Flight Crashes in Nepal, Aircrafts, and Fatalities

Dangerous Flight Crashes in Nepal have occurred time and again. The aviation history of Nepal has witnessed fatal flight crashes with the loss of hundreds of lives. In today’s article, let’s learn about the most dangerous flight crashes in Nepal.

Dangerous Flight Crashes in Nepal

Thai Airways Flight 311 Crash

Thai Airways International Flight 311 was outbound to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu from Dong Meung Int’l Aiport, Bangkok on July 31st, 1992. The usual flight from the iconic touristic city of Bangkok met an ill fate during the landing approach to TIA (VNKT). The Airbus 310 aircraft crashed into the mountains of Langtang National Park, killing all 113 people on board.

The accident was reported to happen due to the air traffic controller’s inexperience which led to a miscommunication with the pilot and also due to a lack of radar in the airport control tower. Due to the absence of a radar, the ATC also couldn’t view the exact location of the airplane.

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PIA Flight 268

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 was a flight coming from Karachi, Pakistan to Kathmandu, Nepal on September 28th, 1992. The Airbus 300 aircraft met the same fate as the Thai Airways 311 flight crash, that too just after 59 days after the latter one. The crash left no survivors and all 167 people on board including the crew died a horrific death.

The flight was descending for a landing approach through the South which is also known as Sierra Approach to TIA. The pilots were given clear instructions about maintaining the elevation of the flying machine. But unfortunately, the descent was taken one step early on each step, resulting in the aircraft crashing in the Mahabharat range at Bhattedanda. Reports also point towards ATC’s timely intervention could have prevented the accident.

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Buddha Air Flight 103

Buddha Air Flight 103 was a mountain flight to Everest region and met a fatal crash while returning back to Kathmandu Airport on September 25th, 2011. The Beechcraft 1900D commuter aircraft crashed into the jungle near Lalitpur, Nepal, not very far from TIA. All 19 people onboard lost their lives in the fatal crash.

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The investigation team and ATC blamed the pilot for the crash. Meanwhile, the weather situation was also not very favorable at that time.

US Bangla Flight 211

US Bangla Airline’s Flight 211 also falls under the most dangerous flight crashes in Nepal. A scheduled international passenger flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Kathmandu, Nepal, crashed on 12 March 2018 while landing. The crash claimed the lives of 51 of the 71 people aboard.

The 76-seat Bombardier Q400 dangerously crashed into the runway of Tribhuvan International Airport. Malindo Air’s flight on the taxiway was lucky to not have collided but unfortunately, the dangerous landing approach was fatal to the passengers of flight 211. Reports from the investigation team of Nepal blamed the caption and his lack of situational awareness. Meanwhile, the team from Bangladesh blamed the ATC instead over his unclear instructions about Runway 02 and Runway 20 of VNKT.

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Tara Air Flight 197

Tara Air Flight 197 inbound to Jomsom from Pokhara is also one of the most dangerous flight crash in Nepal. The twin otter aircraft carrying 22 people including the crew was scheduled to land at Jomson Airport at 10:15 am on May 22, 2022. But, the plane lost communication with ATC at 10:07 am, plunging into the thick clouds of the Himalayas above, Ghorepani Myagdi.

The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashed into the foothills of Mount Manapathi at Lete, taking the lives of 22 people onboard. The crash spot was located after 20 hours due to the complex topography of the Himalayas. Reports point toward the bad weather en route to Jomsom report which resulted in the fatal accident.

Yeti Airlines Flight 691

Yeti Airlines Flight 691 became the most fatal accident in the history of domestic aircraft crashes in Nepal. A usual daily flight into the touristic town of Pokhara from Kathmandu on January 15, 2023, became the news of utter trauma and grief in the Nepalese community. The ATR 72 aircraft stalled into the gorge of River Seti engulfing fire and killing all 72 people onboard.

The twin-engine turboprop airplane was on a landing approach. The ATC at Pokhara Regional Int’l Airport first gave the clearance for landing on runway 30 but the captain asked the ATC for permission to do so from Runway 12 instead. The plane was taking a left turn for that purpose but stalled midway due to a lack of elevation while turning as per initial speculation. The full report is yet to come.

So, that was all about dangerous flight crashes in Nepal. The Himalayan country does not have a healthy record in aviation safety. Time and again, flight crashes are happening majorly due to bad weather, technical failures, and human errors. Also, the Nepalese airspace is a tough one due to complex topography and ever-changing weather.

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Tell us, what do you about the dangerous flight crashes in Nepal? What should the government do to minimize such fatal crashes? DO write us your thoughts and views in the comment section below.