NEPAL: Mishandling, aircraft system malfunction or pilot fatigue may have been the cause of Sunday’s deadly plane crash in Nepal that killed at least 68 people, according to pilots and an air crash investigation expert.
He also said that the exact cause of the accident would be known only after a detailed investigation.
Nepal, which has witnessed several plane crashes in recent years, on Sunday witnessed the crash of an ATR-72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines on its way from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
Video clips on social media purportedly show the trajectory of the plane seconds before it crashed, it was a clear sky and the weather was not bad.
A plane crash investigator told PTI that according to a video clip, the plane’s nose pitched up and its wings tilted to the left before the crash, and there could have been a stall. A senior pilot of a major Indian carrier, who did not wish to be quoted, said following procedures are paramount when flying over areas like Nepal.
The pilot, who also flies to Nepal, said several factors, including pilot fatigue, could have led to the crash. While flying a plane, decisions have to be made at every step and a pilot needs to be well rested. Hence, there could be pilot fatigue and there could be a possibility of non-adherence to procedures, the pilot said.
A pilot with a regional carrier, who has been flying ATR planes for nearly two decades, said the particular plane may have suffered a stall or there could have been pilot error. The pilot said that the cause of the accident would be known only after the completion of the investigation.
- BHARAT TIMES
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