The pilot, 37-year-old Manish Shakya, was rescued from the wreckage and swiftly transported to a nearby hospital in Sinamangal for urgent medical attention.
Digital Desk: In a tragic incident at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, eighteen people lost their lives when a Saurya Airlines aircraft, 9N-AME (CRJ 200), crashed during takeoff. The flight was carrying nineteen individuals bound for Pokhara.
The pilot, 37-year-old Manish Shakya, was rescued from the wreckage and swiftly transported to a nearby hospital in Sinamangal for urgent medical attention. Gyanendra Bhul, the information officer at TIA, confirmed that the aircraft was carrying technical staff of Saurya Airlines and was en route to Pokhara Regional Airport for maintenance.
The aircraft involved in the crash was a Bombardier CRJ-200ER with registration 9N-AME, manufactured in 2003. Following the crash, witnesses reported seeing smoke emanating from the aircraft, prompting immediate deployment of police and firefighters to the crash site for rescue operations.
Eyewitnesses recounted that during takeoff from the southern end of the runway, the aircraft unexpectedly tilted, causing one of its wing tips to strike the ground. The aircraft subsequently caught fire and crashed into a gorge located on the eastern side of the runway, according to The Kathmandu Post.
Saurya Airlines, which was acquired by India's Kuber Group in 2019 for 630 million Nepali rupees, had plans to rebrand as Kuber Airlines in 2021, although these plans were temporarily halted.
In December 2018, Saurya Airlines faced operational suspension at Kathmandu airport due to outstanding debts. The airline was permitted to resume operations in 2020 after partially settling a debt of $355,000 owed to the airport.
Tragically, in January of the previous year, Yeti Airlines also experienced a fatal crash in Pokhara, claiming the lives of all 72 individuals on board, including five Indian nationals. An investigation into the crash of Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft attributed the incident to human error.
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