A total of 72 passengers and crew aboard the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed last Sunday (January 15), and it is also believed that no one survived.
It is Nepal’s deadliest plane crash in decades. However, the pilot did not report “anything untoward” as the plane approached the airport, said a spokesman.
It was also reported that the mountains were clear with good visibility during the time of the plane crash. There was a light wind and no weather issue added Anup Joshi.
The following day, the Yeti Airlines plane fragments were seen scattered across the riverbank on both sides.
The thick stench of smoke still hung in the air, and the scorched grass was a reminder of the fireball that swept over the aircraft after it crashed.
A mobile phone footage widely shared on social media showed the plan rolling sharply as it approached the runway before it hit the ground in Seti River’s gorge, just over a kilometre from the airport.
The pilot was granted a change from the assigned runway 3 to runway 1, Mr Joshi said.
“We could operate from both runways. The plane was cleared for landing.”
As Nepalis police scoured through the wreckage, they informed us they had discovered the black box flight recorder. The voice recorder has been recovered as well.
They have given up on finding any survivors and are now focusing on finding clues as to how this tragedy happened.
The government has already set up a panel to investigate the cause of the country’s deadliest disaster, while the prime minister declared Monday (January 16) a national day of mourning.
Divya Dhakal, a local resident, shared with BBC how she hurriedly to the crash site after seeing the plane plunge from the sky shortly after 11:00 local time (05:15 GMT).
“By the time I was there, the crash site was already crowded. There was huge smoke coming from the flames of the plane.” she shared. “Then helicopters came over in no time,”
She also added that the pilot tried not to hit civilisation or any home and the flight hit the ground in the small space right beside the Seti River.
Aviation accidents are not unusual in Nepal, as remote runways and unexpected weather changes can make for risky conditions.
This Himalayan country, home to some of the most spectacular mountains in the world, including Mount Everest, has some of the most difficult terrains to navigate.
Poor regulation and lack of investment in new aircraft have also been the blame.
The Yeti Airlines flight took off shortly after 10:30 a.m. (04:45 GMT) for what should have been a short journey.
53 of the passenger said to be Nepalis, and there were also 5 Indians, 4 Russians and 3 Koreans on the plane. There were passengers from Ireland, Australia, Argentina, and France, among others.
Source: BBC
