PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP via Getty
- 18 people have died after a small passenger plane crashed during takeoff in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Nepal has a poor aviation safety record and all of its airlines are banned from European airspace.
- Kathmandu's challenging weather and high altitude make it a difficult place to fly, an expert told BI.
18 people have died after a small passenger airplane crashed during takeoff in Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu.
The plane's captain is the only remaining survivor of the 19 onboard, including two crew members and 17 technicians of the airline, who were traveling to Pokhara, reportedly for aircraft maintenance.
The Saurya Airlines flight skidded off the runway at approximately 11.15 a.m. local time, according to The Kathmandu Post.
All 18 bodies have been recovered from the crash site at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal. The pilot, Captain Manish Ratna Shkya, was rescued and is being treated for injuries at Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital.
Videos and photos posted online showed billows of black smoke emerging from the wreckage of the plane, then on fire but since put out by firefighters.
The search and rescue coordination of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a recently released statement that the plane "veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway."
"Rescue operations were initiated immediately," it said. "The fire was brought under control," the statement added.
Nepal has a poor aviation safety record and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous countries for air travel. All Nepali air carriers are banned from entering the airspace of any European Union country, per the EU Air Safety List.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency bans airlines from operating in the EU for "failure to adhere to the applicable international safety standards."
Professor Ron Bartch, chairman and founding director of aviation consultancy firm AvLaw, told Business Insider that one reason for its poor safety record is that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal is "not a terribly well-resourced safety regulator."
The CAAN did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Nepal's mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather, and remote runways have contributed to the country's reputation as one of the most difficult places to fly.
Kathmandu's high altitude makes for a "challenging operating environment," Bartch added, noting that this means a greater distance and an accelerated approach speed are required for takeoff and landing as the air is less dense than at sea level.
He also said Nepal's monsoonal conditions affect the country's aviation safety.
The deadliest plane crash in Nepal in three decades occurred in January 2023, when at least 72 people were killed after a Yeti Airlines flight went down near Pokhara, which government investigators later attributed to the aircraft's pilots accidentally cutting off the power.
In 1992, all 167 passengers on board a Pakistan International Airlines flight to Kathmandu died when the Airbus crashed on approach to the airport.
Since 2000, more than 350 people have died in Nepal in 19 air crashes.