At least 68 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines ATR 72 carrying 72 people crashed in Pokhara, Nepal at 11 a.m. on Sunday. According to preliminary accounts, the plane, which had 68 passengers and four crew members on board, crashed approximately 20 minutes after taking off from Kathmandu for Pokhara, a few kilometers away. Rescue efforts are underway, with images on social media showing smoke rising from the crash site.
Plane crashes have a long history in Nepal. These sad instances have been exacerbated by the rugged mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather, a lack of investment in new planes and infrastructure, and insufficient regulation. According to the Aviation Safety database, at least 27 deadly aviation crashes have occurred in Nepal in the last three years.
Timeline of plane crashes in Nepal
May 2022: On May 29, a Tara Airplane carrying 22 people, including four Indians from Thane, crashed in Nepal’s rugged Mustang province. The bodies of everyone on board were discovered three days later, on Tuesday. According to the Nepal government’s investigation report, the tragedy was perhaps caused by unfavorable weather.
February 2019: An Air Dynasty chopper crashed into a hill while attempting to return to Kathmandu in murky weather. Rabindra Adhikari, Nepal’s Tourism Minister, was one of the seven passengers killed in the crash. According to the preliminary findings of the investigation, there were violations of operating procedures, such as weight disbalance owing to the positioning of the fuel tank and unsuitable passenger seating configurations.
March 2018: 49 persons were murdered on 12 March 2018 when a US-Bangla plane carrying 67 passengers and four crew members crashed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International airport. The flight from Dhaka caught fire after veering off the runway upon landing, colliding with a football field near the airport, and then exploding. A commission formed to investigate the disaster stated that the pilot’s disorientation was the most likely cause of the catastrophe.
February 2016: An Air Kashthamandap aircraft with 11 persons on board crashed in the Kalikot area of Nepal. The event killed two crew members and injured all nine passengers.
May 2015: A US Marine Corps squadron crashed in the country’s Charikot region, killing all eight people on board. The UH-1Y Huey, containing six US marines and two Nepali soldiers, went missing during a mission to give help to victims of two earthquakes.
May 2012: Thirteen Indian pilgrims were among 15 persons who died in May 2012 when a Dornier jet with 21 people on board crashed into a hilltop in northern Nepal while attempting to land at a high-altitude airfield. The airplane was traveling from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.
September 2011: A Buddha Air Beechcraft 1900D carrying guests on a sightseeing tour of Mount Everest collided with a hill. The entire crew of 19, including ten Indians, perished. The disaster was caused by adverse meteorological conditions, as the Kathmandu airport and surrounding area were engulfed in heavy monsoon clouds at the time of the collision.
September 2006: A Shree Air helicopter crashed during a chartered flight in Eastern Nepal, killing all 24 passengers and staff members on board. The helicopter had an expedition of the World Wide Fund for Nature returning from a conservation event.
June 2006: A Yeti aircraft carrying six passengers, including crew members, crashed on the ground.
November 2001: A chartered helicopter crashed on a flight in Western Nepal. Princess Prekshya Shah of Nepal was among the six people murdered in the tragedy.
July 2000: A Royal Nepal Airlines Twin Otter crashed on its route to Dhanghadhi airport. The catastrophe killed up to 22 passengers and three crew members.
July 1993: An EverestAir Dornier plane crashed near the Chule Ghopte hill in Nepal. All three members of the crew and 16 passengers were murdered.
September 1992: A Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed during landing at Kathmandu International Airport, killing all 167 people on board. The plane took off from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport and crashed into the last mountain crest 11 kilometers before Kathmandu’s airport.
July 1992: Thai Airways’ Airbus 310 crashed on approach to Kathmandu, killing all 99 passengers and 14 staff members on board. During severe monsoon weather, the plane slammed into a mountain 37 kilometers north of Kathmandu. According to the investigation, there was a slight failure in the plane’s flaps, and the pilot was stressed out owing to a miscommunication with the air traffic controller during bad weather.
July 1969: A Royal Nepal Airlines plane crashed en route to Sinara airport, killing 31 passengers and four crew members.