Tracing Nepal’s long history of plane crashes dating back to 2000

While rescue operations are still on, at least 40 people are reported dead in Sunday’s accident at Pokhara International Airport. There were 72 people aboard.

Rescue teams work to retrieve bodies at the crash site of an aircraft carrying 72 people in Pokhara in western Nepal, on 15 January 2023 | Bijay Neupane/Handout via Reuters

New Delhi: A plane with 72 people onboard, including five Indians, crashed at Pokhara International Airport in Nepal Sunday, with at least 40 people reported dead in what is one of the worst crashes in the country in nearly five years.

According to reports, the twin-engine ATR 72 plane operated by the country’s Yeti Airlines was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara and crashed on landing, 20 minutes after it took off.

A Yeti Airlines spokesperson said the carrier had 68 passengers and four crew on board — including two infants. Apart from the five Indians, foreign nationals on board included four Russians, one Irish, two South Koreans, one Australian, one French, and one Argentinian, a Nepali airport official said.

Nepal, home to Everest and seven of the world’s 14 highest mountain peaks, has seen a high number of plane crashes over the past few years. Experts believe that the country is prone to plane-related accidents due to its “challenging terrain and weather conditions”.

Experts also said that the most pressing issue is the failure of the aviation authority in the country to act on recommendations from “past crash investigations”.

Plane crashes in Nepal since 2000

Nepal, the small Himalayan country, has a deadly record for plane crashes. Following are the details of such plane crashes in the country since 2000:

Tara Air Flight 197, 2022: On 29 May last year, a Tara Air plane carrying 22 passengers on board, including four Indians, went missing in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district. The aircraft, a turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane, was flying from Pokhara to Jomsom in central Nepal.

US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 crash, 2018: On 12 March 2018, a 76-seater Bombardier Q400 of US-Bangla Airlines, a privately-owned Bangladeshi airline, was travelling to Kathmandu from Dhaka. It crashed while landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Fifty-one of the 71 people on board were killed.

Tara Air Flight 193, 2016: On 24 February 2016, a Tara Air flight carrying 23 people from Pokhara to Jomsom went missing eight minutes after take-off. Its wreckage was later found in Myagdi, a mountainous district, with no survivors. The crash was reportedly caused by bad weather.

Sita Air Flight 601 crash, 2012: On 29 September 2012, a passenger plane of Kathmandu-based airline Sita Air, which was flying from the Nepal capital to the mountain town of Lukla, plunged into a river, killing all 19 people on board. Reportedly, the cause was an error by the pilot.

Agni Air Dornier 228 crash, 2012: On 14 May 2012, a Dornier 228 aircraft of private airline Agni Air, which was flying from Pokhara to Jomsom, crashed near the Jomsom airport. A total of 21 people were on board, of which 15, including both pilots, lost their lives. Six people were rescued from the crash site.

Buddha Air Flight BHA-103 crash, 2011: On 25 September 2011, a Beechcraft aircraft of airline Buddha Air crashed in the Lalitpur district in the Kathmandu valley. All 22 people on board, including 10 Indian nationals, were killed. A panel that probed the crash later attributed it to pilot fatigue coupled with poor visibility.

Tara Air Twin Otter crash, 2010: On 15 December 2010, a DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft flying from Lamidanda to Kathmandu crashed shortly after take-off. All 22 people on board, including three crew members, were killed.

Agni Air Flight 101 crash, 2010: On 24 August 2010, Agni Air Flight 101, which was headed to Lukla from Kathmandu, crashed in a hillside near Bastipur minutes after take-off, killing all 14 on board. The probe panel had attributed the mishap to the pilot’s “loss of spatial orientation due to the loss of the attitude indicator in instrument meteorological conditions with visibility of less than 500 meters”.

Yeti Airlines Flight 101, 2008: On 8 October 2008, a small private plane operated by Yeti Airlines crashed in the remote mountains of northeast Nepal’s Lukla, killing at least 18 people — 12 Germans and two Australians. Only one crew member survived.

Yeti Airlines Twin Otter Crash, 2006: On 21 June 2006, Nepalese domestic carrier Yeti Airlines flight crashed at the Jumla airport. All nine on board — six passengers, a pilot, a co-pilot and a cabin attendant — were killed in the crash.

Shangri-La Air Twin Otter crash, 2002: On 22 August 2002, a Shangrila Air plane carrying 18 people, including 15 foreign tourists, crashed at the country’s resort town of Pokhara, killing all those aboard. The deceased comprised 13 Germans, one Briton, one American, and three crew members.

Royal Nepal Airlines crash, 2000: On 27 July 2000, a Royal Nepal Airlines flight with 22 passengers, and three crew members abroad, crashed at western Nepal’s Dadeldhura. All 25 people died.

(Edited by Smriti Sinha)