18 Killed, Pilot the Only Survivor, as Plane Crashes During Takeoff at Nepal’s Kathmandu Airport

19 people were onboard a Saurya Airlines plane that crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Nepal’s civil aviation authority reported. 18 of the passengers were reportedly killed, and the pilot, the only sole survivor, was rescued and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital. 

Details of the Flight

The plane, carrying 2 crew members and 17 of Saurya Airlines staff, was bound for Pokhara city, 150 kilometres east of Kathmandu, for maintenance checks, reported airport security chief Arjun Chand Thakuri. It crashed around 11:15 AM local time, a few minutes after takeoff, according to the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority’s search and rescue coordination centre.

The pilot sustained injuries to his eyes and forehead, but his life is not in danger, reported police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki to BBC Nepali.

Visuals from the Scene

Television footage, seemingly from a CCTV, showed firefighters combating the blaze as thick black smoke rose into the sky. Other footage showed rescue workers going through the burned remains of the plane, scattered across green fields. As local residents looked on, bodies were being carried on stretchers to ambulances.

Aircraft Details

Officials confirmed that the plane was a Bombardier. Saurya Airlines operates domestic flights within Nepal with two 20-year-old Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, according to Flight Radar 24.

The airport has been temporarily closed as emergency crews continue their work, officials reported. 

Other Incidents

Nepal’s air safety has been the subject of critique for years. Nearly 350 people have been killed in plane or helicopter crashes in the country since 2000.

Recently, in January 2023, at least 72 people were killed when a Yeti Airlines aircraft crashed, which was later attributed to its pilots cutting the power by mistake.

The deadliest air crash occurred in 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft crashed into a hillside approaching Kathmandu, resulting in the deaths of all 167 people onboard.