According to BBC , the small passenger plane Bombardier CRJ 200 of Saurya Airlines crashed on the afternoon of July 24 while taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Mr. Badri Pandey, Minister of Civil Aviation of Nepal, said that the plane suddenly turned right during takeoff instead of turning left. Then, the plane crashed into the area east of the runway.
"The plane hit a cargo container located at the edge of the airport, then continued to fall down the slope below. However, the cockpit separated from the fuselage after the impact and was trapped inside the container. Therefore, the pilot escaped. survived," Mr. Pandey said.
According to Independent , captain Manish Ratna Shakya was rescued from the cockpit within five minutes of the accident. Manish suffered injuries to his head, face, and broken bones in his back. He is expected to have surgery soon.
"The pilot survived and is in stable condition. It is a miracle," said Nepal police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki.
Senior police inspector Dambar Bishwakarma further shared with the BBC: "We broke the window and immediately pulled him out. He was bleeding all over his face when he was rescued, but we took him to the hospital." Hospital in a state of alertness and able to talk."
The plane was carrying 19 people, mainly crew and technical staff, with no commercial passengers. Technicians plan to fly to Pokhara to repair and maintain this aircraft.
When the accident occurred, the plane's fuselage separated, part of it hit the slope of the airport and bounced 50m away before falling to the ground. The remains crashed into a nearby mound, broke into pieces, and were consumed by fire.
The cause of the accident is currently unknown. But experts reviewed the camera footage of the incident and said the cause may have been because the plane was unable to gain altitude when trying to take off, according to Indian Express .
Possible causes of this incident include engine failure, incorrect assessment of aircraft weight during pre-flight planning, technical problems or pilot error.
On the day of the accident, the weather was completely typical of a monsoon climate, with low visibility but no rain.
Families of some victims have blamed the airline. Dirga Bahadur Khadka, uncle of co-pilot Sushant Katwal who died in the flight, said: "We suspect that the company pressured the pilots to fly the plane.
Otherwise, no one would want to fly on a plane with technical problems. A question also arises about the civil aviation authority, the aviation industry regulator: How can they allow planes with technical problems to take off?".
Saurya Airlines is said to have been facing financial difficulties for many years, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the airline proposed switching to ATR-72 aircraft and promised to maintain safety standards until the new aircraft arrived. However, the airline was unable to secure the investment required to replace its fleet.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.
