Nepal plane crash that killed 72 caused by pilots mistakenly cutting power, panel finds
- The ATR 72, operated by Yeti Airlines, crashed just before landing in the tourist city of Pokhara on January 15 in one of Nepal’s worst aeroplane accidents
- A member of the investigative panel said the pilots mistakenly cut power, leading to an aerodynamic stall
A Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal that killed 72 people almost a year ago was caused by the pilots mistakenly cutting power, leading to an aerodynamic stall, a report issued by a government-appointed investigation panel on Thursday said.
The ATR 72, operated by privately owned Yeti Airlines, crashed just before landing in the tourist city of Pokhara on January 15 in one of Nepal’s worst aeroplane accidents in 30 years.
There were 72 people on the twin-engined aircraft including two infants, four crew and 15 foreign nationals. There were no survivors.
Dipak Prasad Bastola, an aeronautical engineer and a member of the investigating panel, said due to lack of awareness and lack of standard operating procedures, the pilots had put the condition levers, which control power, in the feathering position, instead of selecting the flap lever.
This led the engine to “run idle and not produce thrust”, Bastola said. “But due to its momentum, the aircraft flew for up to 49 seconds before hitting the ground.”
