A Saurya Airlines plane crashed badly on Wednesday and caught fire shortly after taking off from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Out of 19 people on board, 18 died. The only survivor was the pilot, Captain Manish Ratna Shakya, who is badly hurt and is currently admitted to the hospital for his injuries. The crash happened just minutes after takeoff from Kathmandu airport at 11:11 am. The plane was on its way to Pokhara for technical maintenance. Two crew members and 17 technicians were traveling on the 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft of Saurya Airlines.
The plane was on it’s way to Pokhara for a big check-up called a C-Check, which happens every 18-24 months. Air safety experts are questioning why the aviation authority allowed so many people to travel on the plane before it got this important check-up.
Why is Nepal always considered tricky for pilots? Because of Nepal’s high mountains and deep valleys, the weather in Nepal is very uncertain and can change suddenly. Also, Nepal’s high altitude means the air is thinner, which can make it hard for plane engines to work properly. Most of the accidents happen here because of these reasons.
As soon as it took off from runway 02, it turned right instead of left and crashed on the east side of the runway. When the plane crashed and caught fire, the rescue team immediately reached the site, and the fire was brought under control.
Nepal has a record of many plane crashes, and after every crash, the authorities promise to set up another committee to investigate the disaster.
