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On July 24, 2024, a Saurya Air CRJ-7 aircraft (9N-AME) crashed shortly after taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The flight was bound for Pokhara and had Saurya Air maintenance personnel on board.
polite: Nepal Police
Key Facts
Number of people on board:
Total: 19 (18 Nepalese and 1 Yemeni)
Death toll: 18
Survivors: 1 (Captain Manishratna Shakya, currently receiving treatment at KMC Hospital, Kathmandu)
Notable victims:
– The victims included technical staff of Saurya Aviation, including safety chief Sagar Acharya, CAMO manager Ashwin Kumar Niraula, quality assurance chief Dilip Verma and maintenance manager Yagya Raj Poudel.
– Technician Manuraj Sharma, his wife Prija Khatri (a computer operator at the Department of Energy) and their young son Adhiraj Sharma were also on board and died in the crash.
Timeline of events:
11:11 am: The plane takes off from Tribhuvan International Airport.
11:15am: Police receive the first report of the accident.
11:34 am: Capt Shakya is rescued from the wreckage.
11:40 a.m.: Firefighters have the blaze under control.
11:50am: Authorities confirm there were 19 people on board.
11:51 am: The body of the deceased is taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
1:00 p.m.: The airport resumes normal operations, with flights suspended or diverted.
Crash details:
– Shortly after takeoff, the plane veered to the right and hit a container at the airport, then crashed and caught fire. Witnesses said the plane broke in two and saw a lot of flames.
– The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The plane’s last communication with air traffic control was a takeoff clearance and the pilot did not report any technical problems.
Witness testimony:
– Witnesses said there was a loud bang when the plane hit the container and crashed. The impact caused the plane to break apart and then catch fire. Krishna Thapa, a worker at a car repair shop, described seeing the planes collide and then crash to the ground.
Investigation and Response:
– The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and other authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
– Prime Minister Cannavaro Paz Oli convened an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the crash and plans to set up a committee to conduct a full investigation into the incident.
Rescue and Recovery:
– Emergency rescue efforts were hampered by construction materials and terrain near the crash site, resulting in delays in reaching some areas. Despite these challenges, Captain Shakya was rescued and is currently in a stable condition at the KMC Hospital, despite suffering serious injuries.
Additional Information:
– The aircraft was on a scheduled maintenance flight to Pokhara where a comprehensive maintenance check known as a ‘C-check’ was scheduled.
– The crash caused a suspension of flights at Tribhuvan International Airport, which resumed at 1pm that day. Some international flights were diverted and some were delayed.
This tragic incident highlights the importance of strict safety protocols and thorough investigations to prevent future accidents. The aviation community, the families of the victims, and the nation as a whole await the results of the investigation to better understand what led to this catastrophic event.
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