Why do plane crash occurs in Nepal so frequently?

In one of the worst flying locations in the world, there has been another fatal crash.

Authorities have discovered five bodies from the Air Dynasty helicopter crash in Nuwakot, Nepal

plane crash in Nepal — All five people on board perish in a helicopter crash in a Nepali forest.

An Air Dynasty chopper crashed near Shivachaur in the Shivapuri Rural Municipality-7 of Nuwakot, Nepal this afternoon. All five persons aboard the chopper perished in the crash.

Senior Captain Arun Malla flew the helicopter, which had the registration 9N-AJD.

The crash happened while traveling to Syaphrubensi after leaving Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, at 1:54 in the morning. A Prabhu helicopter (9N-ANL) was sent to the crash scene as soon as the incident was notified, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

Four Chinese nationals were going to Rasuwa among the five people on board. Three minutes after taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport, the helicopter lost touch with the Kathmandu tower, as reported by the CAAN.

Since the July 24 crash of the Saurya Airlines aircraft at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal only a few weeks have passed. The tragic event claimed the lives of all 18 occupants, but the captain survived. Given the number of flight disasters that have occurred in the Himalayan nation in recent years, this most recent tragedy raises grave worries about air safety over those skies.

Reasons behind the plane crash in Nepal

There have been numerous airline crashes in Nepal. There have been 60 domestic aircraft accidents, 7 international aircraft accidents, and 35 Helicopter accidents since 1946.

For more than ten years, the country’s airlines, notably Nepal Airlines, have been prohibited from entering the European Union. According to Yogesh Bhattarai, a former minister of aviation in Nepal, “that would be a huge loss for us” if nations like China, India, and the Gulf states followed suit.

Furthermore, a recent Helicopter accident prompts new worries about the security of Nepal’s airspace. The equipment and the role of pilots and aircraft operators are being scrutinized.

Here, we examine the reasons behind Nepal’s continued ranking as one of the world’s riskiest travel destinations.

Geographically vulnerable terrain: The main reason causing plane crash in Nepal

Many of the world’s tallest mountains are located in this nation. This presents a special risk to pilots due to the peaks and quickly shifting weather. The International Civil Aviation Organization of the United Nations gave priority status for technical assistance to the nation back in 2015. The organization noted that the beautiful but rugged terrain makes the safety of air operations more challenging than in other parts of the world.

Shorter runway length

Shorter runways at mountainous airports are a common feature. Pilots must possess greater competence to handle such airports. They can only fly smaller aircraft. Occasionally, the aircraft may be less dependable. Nepal’s Lukla Airport, which serves as the entry point to the Everest region, has a high accident rate. For this reason, it’s not unexpected that Lukla Airport has been named the world’s most dangerous airport in the past. The runway at the airport measures 1729 feet. This is the shortest runway at Heathrow, which measures 12,008 feet. The runway ends abruptly at a wall made of masonry. There are few opportunities for an aborted landing due to the surrounding rising slopes. Pilots must land correctly the first time. Because of the airport’s elevation, the air is also thinner, forcing planes to arrive sooner.

Nepal: Poorest countries in Asia

Nepal is still one of the poorest nations in Asia. It’s not surprising that some of its airlines have aging fleets. Similarly, its pilot training programs may not be as good as those in other nations. Some older aircraft don’t even have GPS, according to industry insiders. The Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft (registration 9N-AME) was 21 years old. But this is fairly a normal age for a commercial airliner, according to the website Planespotters.net.

The Yeti Airlines plane that went down in 2023 was only fifteen years old.

Flying more affordable used planes

Many Nepali aircraft operators prefer to buy used aircraft. They cannot afford to purchase new aircraft. Accident investigations have stated that operators have only followed four out of the five suggestions for air safety. Even when they disobey safety regulations, their tight ties to powerful government figures protect them from investigation. Simple parking, fence, and emergency vehicle regulations have not been followed by many airports.

The president of the Nepal Association of Tour Operators, Ashok Pokharel, told the Guardian following a 2022 Tara Air tragedy that “the older aircraft don’t have modern weather radars.” The pilot must be aware of the current weather conditions for the area he is flying into.

Cases of indiscipline

Although most Nepali pilots possess excellent qualifications, authorities have documented reports of incompetence. Recently, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) prohibited three pilots from flying. The air traffic control (ATC) experts in Hong Kong punished them for defying orders. Because the pilots disregarded the ATC’s directions, two more have been grounded.

Nepal’s air traffic control and safety system is in disarray

The aviation operations and safety system in Nepal is in disarray. Everything is rife with corruption. Aviation corruption led to the overthrow of a prime minister. The service provider and regulator of Nepal’s aviation industry is the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Conflicts of interest have resulted from this, particularly in relation to safety requirements. Paradoxically, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation has disregarded nearly half of the suggestions made to them by accident investigators.

The European Union has banned all flights by Nepali carriers within European airspace, due to these hazards.

In addition to providing recommendations to enhance air safety, the committee looking into the most recent aviation accident will present its findings and explain what caused the incident. It is unlikely, therefore, to have a significant effect on Nepal’s present aviation safety regulations.