2024 Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 crash
.jpg) 9N-AME, the aircraft involved in the crash, seen in 2019 in a previous livery | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 24 July 2024 |
| Summary | Crashed shortly after take-off, under investigation |
| Site | Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Bombardier CRJ200ER |
| Operator | Saurya Airlines |
| ICAO flight No. | SAU-FER |
| Registration | 9N-AME[1] |
| Flight origin | Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Destination | Pokhara International Airport, Gandaki Province, Nepal |
| Occupants | 19 |
| Passengers | 17 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 18 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
On 24 July 2024, a Bombardier CRJ200ER operated by Saurya Airlines as Flight FER[2], crashed shortly after take-off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, killing 18 out of 19 people on board.[3][4]
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Bombardier CRJ200ER, registered as 9N-AME with manufacturer serial number 7772, built by Bombardier Aviation in 2003 and powered by two General Electric CF34-3B1 engines.[1][5] The aircraft was first delivered to Atlantic Coast Airlines and then entered into service with Saurya Airlines, then known as Kuber Airlines, in 2017.[5]
The plane was set to fly from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to Pokhara on a ferry flight, and was carrying two flight crew members and 17 passengers.[3] Saurya Airlines said that maintenance on the aircraft was scheduled for 25 July.[6]
Accident
The accident occurred on 24 July 2024 around 11:15 NPT shortly after the aircraft took off.[6] The plane lifted only slightly above the runway before it rolled onto its side and crashed. Footage and eyewitness accounts indicated that the plane took off from the runway's southern end, made a sharp bank and fell, its wing tip striking the ground first. The plane caught fire on impact and skidded into a gorge east of the runway between an aircraft hangar and a radar station.[7] Footage of the incident showed firefighters putting out the blaze while attempting to rescue survivors.[3] According to the civil aviation minister, Badri Pandey, the cockpit was severed from the main fuselage by a freight container just before the main body impacted the ground. The cockpit became embedded in the container while the rest of the aircraft was carried further down the gorge.[8]
Eighteen people were killed in the crash, including one citizen from Yemen.[9][10][11] The captain, Manish Shakya, was the only survivor of the crash, and was taken to Kathmandu Medical College Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.[6][12][13] The first officer was identified as Sushant Katuwal.[11][14]
There was low visibility in Kathmandu at the time of the crash.[13] One airport official reported that "cracking noises" seemed to come from the plane prior to the crash.[6]
Passengers and crew
The plane was carrying two crew and according to some sources, 17 technicians employed to conduct routine maintenance on the aircraft.[3] Other sources indicate that one of the passengers was a child.[15]
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nepali | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| Yemeni | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 17 | 2 | 19 |
Aftermath
Tribhuvan International Airport was temporarily shut down following the disaster,[3] and Saurya Airlines suspended all flights following the crash.[16] Three passengers survived the crash but died later in a hospital.[15] The bodies of the victims were taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for autopsies.[13] The captain was rescued "within five minutes of the crash," and received head and facial injuries, and fractured bones in his back.[8]
Investigation
The head of Tribhuvan International Airport said that initial investigations showed that the aircraft turned towards the wrong direction shortly after takeoff.[6]
See also
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
- List of airplane accidents in Nepal
- List of sole survivors of aviation accidents and incidents
- Yeti Airlines Flight 691
- Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268
References
- ^ a b "18 dead as plane crashes in Kathmandu, pilot survives, taken to hospital". India Today. 2024-07-24. Archived from the original on 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ Onta, Vishad Raj (2024-07-24). "18 dead in Nepal aircraft crash". nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ a b c d e "At least 18 dead in Nepal plane crash, officials say". Reuters. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ Hradecky, Simon (2024-07-24). "Crash: Saurya CRJ2 near Kathmandu on Jul 24 2024, rolled right and lost height after take off". The Aviation Herald. Archived from the original on 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ a b Chua, Alfred (24 July 2024). "Saurya Airlines CRJ200 fatally crashes during take-off from Kathmandu". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Pilot only survivor of fatal Nepal plane crash". BBC. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "Saurya Airlines aircraft crashes during takeoff in Kathmandu". Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ a b Bennett, Tom; Dahal, Ashok (25 July 2024). "Pilot survived Nepal crash after cockpit split from plane". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Nepal: Plane crashes in Kathmandu with 19 on board". DW. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "List of passengers of crashed Saurya Airlines". The Rising Nepali. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ a b "Saurya Airlines plane crash: One among 18 dead victims identified as Yemeni national". The Rising Nepal. Archived from the original on 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "VIDEO: Nepal Plane Crash: Moment when flight with 19 people onboard crashed at Kathmandu airport captured". WION. 2024-07-24. Archived from the original on 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ a b c "Plane crashes just after takeoff from Nepal's capital, killing 18 people. Pilot is lone survivor". Associated Press. 2024-07-24. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "List of passengers of crashed Saurya Airlines". The Rising Nepal. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ a b "Captain Shakya, lone survivor of Nepal crash moved to general ward from ICU: Report". The Indian Express. 2024-07-26. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Curran, Andrew (July 28, 2024). "Nepal's Saurya Airlines suspends flights after fatal crash". ch-aviation. Retrieved July 29, 2024.