Nepal Plane Crash: Who is to blame for the repeated air tragedies? | Gravitas | World News | WION

Summary

In Nepal, the world's most dangerous place to fly, another crash has occurred, marking the 13th in 12 years. The Sorya Airlines' Bombardier CRJ200 jet, carrying 19 people, crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, with the pilot as the sole survivor. Despite previous investigations pointing to pilot error and lack of safety protocols, Nepal's aviation sector continues to struggle with negligence and inadequate training. The country's challenging topography and weather conditions add to the complexity, but the recurring accidents raise questions about the effectiveness of safety measures and oversight.

Takeaways

• 😨 Nepal is considered one of the world's most dangerous places to fly, with frequent plane crashes.
• 🚁 The recent crash was the 13th in the last 12 years, involving a Bombardier CRJ200 jet from Nepal's S Airlines.
• 🛫 The plane was heading to Pokhara and had 19 people on board, including technicians and crew members.
• 🔥 The plane crashed shortly after taking off from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport and burst into flames.
• 💔 18 people died in the crash, with the pilot being the sole survivor and currently fighting for his life.
• 🏛️ Nepal's Prime Minister convened an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crash and potential safety measures.
• 🛩️ Last year, a Yeti Airlines plane crashed in Pokhara, killing all 72 people on board, with pilot error suspected as the cause.
• 🚨 Despite investigations and recommendations, Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority has not effectively implemented safety measures to prevent such accidents.
• 🏔️ Flying in Nepal is challenging due to the mountainous terrain, high altitude runways, and unpredictable weather conditions.
• 💔 Over 43 plane crashes have been recorded in Nepal since 1946, leading to the European Union banning Nepal's carriers from its airspace.
• 🛠️ Maintenance and infrastructure issues, including aging fleets and lack of basic facilities at airports, contribute to the high accident rate in Nepal.

Q & A

What is the context of the video script discussing?

The video script discusses the frequent plane crashes in Nepal, focusing on the latest crash involving a Bombardier CRJ200 jet from Nepal Airlines, and the safety concerns surrounding aviation in the country.

How many plane crashes have occurred in Nepal in the last 12 years according to the script?

According to the script, there have been 13 plane crashes in Nepal in the last 12 years.

What was the purpose of the flight that crashed in the script?

The crashed flight was heading to Pokhara with 19 people on board, including seven technicians for maintenance work and two crew members.

What was the outcome of the plane crash mentioned in the script?

Eighteen people on board the plane lost their lives, and the pilot was the lone survivor, battling for his life.

What actions did Nepal's Prime Minister take after the crash?

Nepal's Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, convened an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crash and potential safety measures.

What was the result of the investigation into a previous Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara?

The investigation found that the crash was possibly the result of pilot error, where the pilots reportedly cut the power by mistake.

What are some of the challenges faced by pilots flying in Nepal?

Pilots in Nepal face challenges such as high-altitude runways, difficult terrain, unpredictable weather, and tabletop runways that pose a risk of falling into deep gorges if not properly navigated.

What is the implication of the European Union banning Nepal's carriers from its skies?

The ban implies that the safety standards of Nepal's airlines are not considered adequate by the European Union, reflecting the global concern over the safety of flying in Nepal.

What is the average fleet age of Nepal's Buddha Air according to the script?

The average fleet age of Nepal's Buddha Air is 19.5 years, as mentioned in the script.

What is the reported issue with the aviation sector in Nepal according to the script?

The script reports rampant corruption, lack of compliance with safety recommendations, poor infrastructure, and negligence as major issues within Nepal's aviation sector.

What is the historical context of plane crashes in Nepal mentioned in the script?

The script mentions that Nepal has recorded over 43 plane crashes since 1946, indicating a long-standing issue with aviation safety in the country.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 Plane Crash in Nepal: A Dire Look at Aviation Safety

The script discusses the frequent and tragic plane crashes in Nepal, highlighting the recent crash of a Bombardier CRJ200 jet belonging to Nepal's S Airlines. The plane, en route to Pokhara with 19 people on board, crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, resulting in the death of 18 people and leaving the pilot as the sole survivor. The script raises questions about Nepal's aviation safety, referencing the country's history of non-compliance with air traffic control instructions and inadequate pilot training. It also points out the challenges of flying in Nepal's mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather, which contribute to the high-risk nature of aviation in the region.

05:02

🚁 Persistent Aviation Issues in Nepal: A Call for Change

This paragraph delves into the systemic issues within Nepal's aviation sector, including a history of non-compliance with safety protocols and a lack of effective oversight. It mentions the 2018 crash of a Bangladeshi flight at Kathmandu airport and the subsequent lack of corrective action despite investigative findings. The script criticizes the rampant corruption within the aviation sector and the government's failure to implement necessary safety measures. It also addresses the challenges of maintaining an aging fleet of aircraft, the lack of proper infrastructure at many airports, and the political connections that allow negligence to persist. The paragraph concludes with a call for accountability and a demand for improved safety standards to prevent further tragedies.

Keywords

💡Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, known for its diverse terrain of high mountains, deep valleys, and fertile plains. In the context of the video, Nepal is highlighted as the world's most dangerous place to fly, with frequent plane crashes due to its challenging topography and weather conditions. The script mentions several crashes, including the recent one involving a Bombardier CRJ200 jet.

💡Plane Crash

A plane crash refers to an accident involving an aircraft that results in significant damage or loss of life. The video script discusses multiple plane crashes in Nepal, emphasizing the high frequency and the devastating consequences, such as the 13th crash in the last 12 years and the Yeti Airlines crash that resulted in 72 fatalities.

💡Bombardier CRJ200

The Bombardier CRJ200 is a regional jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace. In the script, it is mentioned as the type of aircraft that crashed in Nepal, belonging to Nepal's S Airlines. The plane was carrying 19 people, including technicians and crew members, highlighting the severity of such incidents.

💡Pilots

Pilots are individuals trained and certified to operate aircraft. The video script discusses the role of pilots in the context of Nepal's frequent plane crashes, suggesting that pilot error, lack of training, and non-compliance with air traffic control instructions contribute to the high accident rate.

💡Civil Aviation Authority

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is a governing body responsible for overseeing and regulating civil aviation in a country. The script criticizes Nepal's CAA for not taking adequate measures to improve safety, despite numerous crash investigations and recommendations.

💡Topography

Topography refers to the physical and structural features of the Earth's surface, including mountains, valleys, and plains. The video highlights the challenging topography of Nepal, particularly its mountainous terrain, as a major factor contributing to the difficulty and danger of flying in the country.

💡Runways

Runways are the flat surfaces on airports where aircraft take off and land. The script mentions that many runways in Nepal are located at high altitude and are 'tabletop' in nature, making them particularly hazardous. The Katmandu airport, for instance, is surrounded by mountains, posing a significant challenge for pilots.

💡Weather

Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions at a given time and place, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and visibility. The video script notes that unpredictable weather in Nepal, such as sudden cloud cover, can make flying conditions extremely dangerous and contribute to accidents.

💡Maintenance

Maintenance refers to the process of keeping something in good working order by regularly checking and repairing it. The script raises concerns about the maintenance of aircraft in Nepal, particularly older planes, suggesting that inadequate maintenance could be a factor in the frequent crashes.

💡Corruption

Corruption is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery or embezzlement. The video script suggests that corruption is rampant in Nepal's aviation sector, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation not complying with safety recommendations, potentially leading to negligence and increased risk.

💡European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are primarily located in Europe. The script mentions that the EU has banned Nepal's carriers from its airspace due to safety concerns, indicating the international recognition of the risks associated with flying in Nepal.

Highlights

Nepal is considered one of the world's most dangerous places to fly with a high rate of plane crashes.

The recent crash of a Bombardier CRJ200 jet was the 13th crash in Nepal in the last 12 years.

The plane, belonging to Nepal's S Airlines, was headed to Pokhara with 19 people on board.

The pilot is the lone survivor of the crash, battling for his life.

Nepal's Prime Minister convened an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crash.

Previous responses to plane crashes in Nepal have been insufficient, with no significant improvements in safety.

Last year, a Yeti Airlines plane crashed in Pokhara, killing all 72 people on board due to pilot error.

Pilots in Nepal have a history of not complying with air traffic control instructions.

The co-pilot of the crashed plane had previously lost her husband in a similar aviation accident.

Crashes remain common in Nepal, with at least one plane crash per year over the last 12 years.

Geographical challenges, such as mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather, contribute to the danger of flying in Nepal.

The investigation into past crashes revealed a lack of proper flight training and oversight by the civil aviation authority.

Corruption is reportedly rampant in Nepal's aviation sector, with the government not complying with safety recommendations.

Aging fleets and lack of maintenance contribute to the high accident rate in Nepal's aviation industry.

Many airports in Nepal lack basic infrastructure, such as fencing and emergency vehicles.

The European Union has banned Nepal's carriers from its airspace due to safety concerns.

The latest crash has brought the focus back on the responsibility of making Nepal's skies safer.

Transcripts

let us now tell you about the world's

most dangerous place to fly if you are

thinking Nepal you are on the right

Runway today another plane crashed in

Nepal it was the 13th crash in the last

12 years 13th in 12 years this was a

bombardier crg2 200 jet it belonged to

Nepal's s Airlines and it was headed to

pocra there were 19 people on board

seven technicians who were going to

porra for some maintenance work and two

crew members the plane took off from

Katmandu trian International Airport a

little after 11:00 a.m. in the morning

but it crashed soon after and burst into

flames we have the video of the plane's

final moments let's just play it out for

you

fore spech

forign spech

speech my

18 of those on board lost their lives

the plane's pilot is the lone survivor

he's now battling for his life Nepal's

prime minister KP Sharma oi convened an

emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the

crash will the nepales cabinet be able

to ensure that Nepal's Skies become

safer to answer that we must look at how

Nepal has previously responded to plane

crashes last year a Yeti Airlines plane

crashed in pocra all 72 people on board

lost their lives a probe was ordered the

investigators found that the crash was

possibly the result of pilot error the

pilots reportedly cut the power by

mistake can you believe that what

happened after that did Nepal or Nepal's

civil aviation Authority take additional

measures to ensure the pilots flying

Nepal's many airlines are adequately

trained or that they follow all safety

protocols basically to ensure that no

more lives are

lost

PL you see pilots flying in Nepal have a

history of not complying with air

traffic controls instructions previously

at least two pilots have been grounded

in Nepal for disobeying the

ATC but then again has much changed is

the

question the co-pilot of the at Airlines

plane anju katada had lost her husband

to another

crash Deepak poel was flying a twin Auto

plane in the year 2006 when it crashed

in Nepal's jumla it was his loss

that made her take up

flying but how much really changed in

Nepal's civil aviation between the two

deaths you see crashes unfortunately

remain common place in Nepal and that is

increasingly worrying in the last 12

years 13 planes have crashed in Nepal so

basically every year at least one plane

crashes in

Nepal is it just coincidence or is it

negligence do you blame the Topography

of the team responsible for ensuring

safety of the air passengers in Nepal

sure Nepal is not the easiest place to

fly a plane in this is a mountainous

country we are talking about the runways

are located at high altitude while

descending and taking off which is the

most dangerous part of the flight Pilots

need to maneuver through difficult

terrain the Katmandu airport the

country's main airport for example where

the plane crashed today is no different

it is surrounded by mountains also a lot

of runways are tabletop which basically

means you overshoot it and you fall in a

deep gorge and to top that the weather

in the mountainous country is hard to

predict one moment it's a clear sky and

a good day to fly and soon you are

trapped in cloud cover visibility goes

for the toss in 2015 for example a

Turkish Airlines plane skidded off the

slippery runway of Katmandu airport the

plane had two 38 passengers on board it

was forced to land in dens fog

thankfully all on board survived but in

2018 a flight from Bangladesh was not so

lucky it crashed at Katmandu airport

several lives were lost so yes it is

challenging to fly in Nepal by no means

am I discounting that but tonight I must

also ask this question has enough been

done to ensure that despite these

challenges the Skies of Nepal can be

made as safe as

possible when the yeti Airlines plane

crashed we told you how in Nepal the

most basic Protocols of civil aviation

don't fly every time a plane goes down a

probe is launched a report is published

but Corrections are not made the jumla

crash I just told you about the

investigative committee found that the

plane went down because the crew did not

follow Pro protocol and to top that

there was insufficient Flight Training

Program by the yeti management so also

the civil aviation agency of Nepal was

not really on top of things with regard

to what was happening at yeti in short

from the crew and the airline to the

government

everyone was at

fault did this report force a change in

Nepal no it did not a month after the

crash in jumla another plane crash

crashed in Nepal the same model the same

airline and the same reason this time

the probe report said and I'm quoting

here the contributory causes to the

accident were insufficiency of CRM

trainings at Yeti Airlines and lack of

adequate oversight of Yeti Airlines by

Caan flight Operations Division quote

unquote basically the same story on

loop as per reports corruption is

rampant across Nepal's Aviation sector

the ministry of civil aviation has

reportedly not complied with about half

the accident investigation

recommendations sent its way it's the

same case with the ministry of culture

and tourism allegedly they are not

abiding with the basic safety measures

sure there are topographic topographical

and weather related challenges at play

but things that can be controlled things

that are under control are not being

looked after

either flight maintainance is another

example which becomes all the more

important when dealing with aging

fleets you see new newer planes are

expensive Nepal's is a struggling

economy so Airlines in Nepal often go

for leing comparatively older planes

take for example Nepal's Buddha air it

has 18 planes the average Fleet age 19.5

years this is at as per planes

spotter now according to Flight Radar 24

the sorya airlines plane that crashed

was around 20 years old we are being

told the plane was being taken to pocra

for some repair work there wasn't enough

hanger space at Katmandu airport so it

was going to another town for repair

work what was wrong with the plane

really we don't know yet was it not in a

state to fly and yet cleared for takeoff

again we do not know but these are

questions that need to be asked more

importantly they need to be answered

because you see Nepal civil aviation has

a problem of poor infrastructure in and

it has cost lives by the way many

airports in Nepal don't have Basics like

a fencing or an emergency vehicle

standards also in Nepal Airlines tend to

get away with negligence Reports say

many operators are well connected they

have friends in Parliament it is a Nexus

of the moneyed claiming innocent lives

so tonight as 18 families mouran their

loved ones Nepal must ask this question

who is the Willing in this

story who is responsible for the fact

that Nepal has recorded over 43 plane

crashes since

1946 planes have fallen from the sky

across Nepal from manma to Johnson pokra

Katmandu dunai the world knows this and

this is why the European Union has

banned Nepal's carriers from its Skies

this is why people are scared to board a

plane in Nepal many don't have an option

but to fly to remote places that are not

well connected by Road it will be some

time before we know the cause for

today's crash but the loss of 18 lives

brings the focus back to those

responsible for making Nepal's SK the

most dangerous in the world to stay up

to speed with the latest news download

the weon app And subscribe to our

YouTube channel