Fatal Nepal Crash Due to Pilot Error, Probe Finds
Nepal witnessed a devastating air tragedy on January 15, 2023, when a Yeti Airlines plane en route from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed, claiming the lives of 72 individuals on board. A recent report from a government-formed committee investigating the crash has shed light on the critical lapses that led to this catastrophic event.
The investigative committee's report revealed that the crash was primarily attributed to pilot error. During the crucial moments of landing preparation at Pokhara's new airport, the pilots inadvertently manipulated the wrong levers, initiating a sequence of events that ultimately resulted in the loss of control over the aircraft.
The report meticulously outlined the sequence of events leading to the tragedy. At a mere altitude of 721 feet from the ground, one of the pilots intended to adjust the wing flaps to facilitate landing. Tragically, the other pilot mistakenly altered the condition levers, which regulate the propellers' settings, to a state called "feathered." This erroneous action caused the propellers to malfunction, inhibiting the plane's forward thrust and subsequently leading to power loss from the engine.
