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Yeti Airlines Flight 691

Coordinates: 28°11′51″N 83°59′06″E / 28.19750°N 83.98500°E / 28.19750; 83.98500
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Yeti Airlines Flight 691
File:20220511082800 IMG 1681 (2).jpg
9N-ANC, the aircraft involved in the accident, at the old Pokhara Airport eight months before the crash
Accident
Date15 January 2023; 21 months ago (2023-01-15)
SummaryCrash on the short final before landing, under investigation
SiteNear Pokhara International Airport, Pokhara, Nepal
28°11′51″N 83°59′06″E / 28.19750°N 83.98500°E / 28.19750; 83.98500
Aircraft
Aircraft typeATR 72–500
OperatorYeti Airlines
IATA flight No.YT691
ICAO flight No.NYT691
Call signYETI AIRLINES 691
Registration9N-ANC
Flight originTribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal
DestinationPokhara International Airport, Pokhara, Nepal
Occupants72
Passengers68
Crew4
Fatalities72
Survivors0

Yeti Airlines Flight 691 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara in Nepal. On 15 January 2023, the aircraft operating the route, an ATR 72 flown by Yeti Airlines, crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 72 people on board.[1] As of January 2023 it is the deadliest accident involving an ATR 72, and the deadliest aviation accident worldwide in 2023 so far.[2][3]

Accident

External videos
video icon Horrifying last moments of an ATR plane crash from Nepal in Pokhara that was bound for Kathmandu from Wajahat Kazmi[4]
video icon Excerpt of a livestream of the crash inside the aircraft[5]

The flight took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am NST.[6] It crashed on the bank of the Seti Gandaki River while on the short final prior to landing.[7] A video taken from the ground shortly before the crash showed the aircraft banking steeply to the left before crashing.[4][8] Another video was streamed live from the plane before and during the crash by a passenger.[5] It shows passengers unaware of the situation until seconds before impact.[5]

The crash occurred between the old Pokhara Airport and the new Pokhara International Airport, which had opened just two weeks earlier and where the aircraft was attempting to land.[9][10] The accident resulted in the deaths of all 72 people on board.[1] The accident was Nepal's worst air crash since the crash of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 in 1992, when all 167 people aboard were killed in Kathmandu.[11]

According to an official at the Pokhara International Airport, air traffic control cleared the flight to land on runway 30 heading from east to west, but the captain requested the opposing runway 12 heading from west to east, minutes before the crash.[12] A Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal spokesperson said: "The weather was clear; according to preliminary information the cause of the crash is the technical issue of the plane."[13]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the crash was a 15-year-old twin-engine turboprop ATR 72–500, with serial number 754 and registration 9N-ANC.[14] It was first delivered to Kingfisher Airlines as VT-KAJ in 2007. In 2013, it was transferred to Nok Air as HS-DRD before being delivered to Yeti Airlines in 2019.[15][16]

Passengers and crew

The 72 people on board comprised 68 passengers and 4 crew.[17][18] Among the passengers were 37 men, 25 women, and 6 children, 3 of whom were infants.[19][20] There were no survivors.[1]

The plane was under the command of senior captain Kamal KC with Anju Khatiwada as copilot. Khatiwada's husband, Dipak Pokhrel, who also worked for Yeti Airlines, died in the 2006 Yeti Airlines Twin Otter Crash. Khatiwada was set to qualify as a captain upon the successful completion of the flight.[21]

Nationality Passengers Crew Total Ref.
Nepal 53 4 57 [22]
India 5 0 5 [23]
Russia 4 0 4 [24]
South Korea 2 0 2 [25]
Argentina 1 0 1 [26]
Australia 1 0 1 [27]
France 1 0 1 [28]
United Kingdom 1 0 1 [29]
Total 68 4 72

Aftermath

The airport was closed as authorities launched a rescue operation.[30] The Government of Nepal summoned an emergency meeting of the Third Dahal cabinet following the crash. The Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, stated that he was "deeply saddened by the sad and tragic accident".[31] The Government of Nepal has commissioned a five-member team to investigate.[32] Indian aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia offered condolences.[33]

The Office of the Prime Minister declared 16 January to be national mourning day in Nepal to pay respect to those who died in the crash.[34] The flag of Nepal was flown at half-staff.[34] Yeti Airlines cancelled all regular flights scheduled for 16 January, in mourning for the victims of the crash.[35]

Investigation

Amit Singh, an experienced pilot and founder of India's Safety Matters Foundation, speculated that the smartphone livestream, taken moments before and during the crash, showed the aircraft's nose noticeably high, before the left wing suddenly dropped and the plane fell out of sight, indicating a likely stall.[36]

On 16 January the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were both located and were found to be in good condition.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Sangam Prasai, Bryan Pietsch and Kelly Kasulis Cho (16 January 2023). "'No survivors' in Nepal plane crash, official says". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  3. ^ Sharma, Gopal (15 January 2023). "At least 68 killed in Nepal's worst air crash in three decades". Reuters. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b Bhandari, Shashwat (15 January 2023). "Nepal: Moment when Yeti Airlines plane tilted mid-air before it crashed near Pokhara Airport". indiatvnews.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Ellis-Petersen, Hannah; Hassan, Aakash (16 January 2023). "Nepal plane crash: last moments inside cabin caught on passenger's Facebook live video". the Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Plane with 72 people onboard crashes near Nepal's Pokhara airport, 36 bodies recovered so far". India Today. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Nepal Plane Crash Updates: At least 40 bodies recovered from Nepal crash". Hindustan Times. 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  8. ^ Sud, Vedika. "Video appears to show plane rolling on its side before crash in Nepal". CNN. CNN. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Pokhara takes off". Nepali Times. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  10. ^ Pokharel, Santosh (22 December 2022). "Pokhara's Old Airport to Remain Functional as CAAN Prepares to Launch Int'l Airport". República. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  11. ^ "What you need to know about Nepal's plane crash". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Pilot of crashed Nepal flight 'asked to switch runway before landing' at Pokhara". The Independent. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. ^ "'Pokhara ATC cleared runway 30 for landing, but Yeti flight crew asked for runway 12'". nepalminute.com. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  14. ^ Livemint (15 January 2023). "Nepal: Passenger plane crashes on runway of Pokhara Airport, five Indians onboard". mint. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  15. ^ "9N-ANC Yeti Airlines ATR 72". planespotters.net. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Officials: At least 40 people killed in Nepal plane crash". EMEA Tribune. Associated Press. 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  17. ^ Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (15 January 2023). "40 bodies recovered as plane with 72 people on board crashes in Nepal". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  18. ^ Hradecky, Simon (15 January 2023). "Crash: Yeti AT72 at Pokhara on Jan 15th 2023, lost height on final approach". avherald.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  19. ^ Pokharel, Asha Thapa,Kathleen Magramo,Sugam (15 January 2023). "At least 68 killed in Nepal's worst airplane crash in 30 years". CNN. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Sharma, Gopal (16 January 2023). "Search resumes for four people missing in Nepal after deadly air crash". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  21. ^ Singh, Mrityunjay (15 January 2023). "Nepal Plane Crash: Co-Pilot Of Ill-Fated Flight Anju Khatiwada Was To Get Pilot Licence After Landing". ABP News. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  22. ^ Vaidyanathan, Rajini (16 January 2023). "Nepal plane crash: Pilot didn't report anything untoward, official says". BBC News. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ International, Asian News (16 January 2023). "No Survivors Found After Nepal Plane Crashed With 72, 5 Of Them Indians". NDTV. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "Обнародованы имена погибших в Непале россиян". Vesti.ru (in Russian). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "네팔 여객기 추락 사망자 68명…한국인 2명 생존 확인 안 돼". SBS News (in Korean). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "Era de Neuquén la argentina que murió en el accidente de avión en Nepal". Diario Rio Negro (in Spanish). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Meacham, Savannah (16 January 2023). "Sydney teacher believed to be victim in horror Nepal plane crash". 9NEWS. Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Allemand, Damien (16 January 2023). "Un Français parmi les victimes du crash d'un avion au Népal, au moins 67 morts". nice matin (in French). Retrieved 16 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "Nepal plane crash: Briton among dozens who died". BBC News. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023. A British man is among the passengers who died in a plane crash in Nepal on Sunday. The person was previously described as Irish by Nepal authorities, but was understood to be traveling on a UK passport. He has not yet been formally named by authorities.
  30. ^ Bureau, ABP News (15 January 2023). "At Least '16 Dead' In Nepal As Passenger Plane With 72 Persons Onboard Crashes At Pokhara Airpo". news.abplive.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  31. ^ Thapa, Asha; Magramo, Kathleen; Pokharel, Sugam (15 January 2023). "At least 68 killed in Nepal's worst airplane crash in 30 years". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  32. ^ "Yeti aircraft crash update". mteveresttoday.com. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  33. ^ "Nepal tragedy: Embassy tweets about Indians aboard plane, helpline". Hindustan Times. 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  34. ^ a b "Nepal plane crash: Rescuers resume search as day of mourning observed". Sky News. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  35. ^ Pokharel, Asha Thapa,Kathleen Magramo,Sugam (15 January 2023). "At least 68 killed in Nepal's worst airplane crash in 30 years". CNN. Retrieved 15 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ Rising, David (16 January 2023). "EXPLAINER: Why did Nepal plane crash in fair weather?". APNews. Retrieved 16 January 2023. "If you see the trajectory of the aircraft, the aircraft's nose goes up, and the nose up would be associated with a reduction in speed," he told The Associated Press. "When they have stalls, typically one wing goes down and wings are basically generating the lift. So as the air flow reduces, the lift generated is not enough to sustain the aircraft in flight and the wing drops and the aircraft nosedives."
  37. ^ "Black box and cockpit voice recorder from plane that crashed in Nepal found". Sky News. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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