KATHMANDU: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the airline both made crucial mistakes that contributed to the terrible event that claimed the lives of eighteen people, according to a preliminary report filed by the commission looking into the crash of the Saurya Airlines plane. The public was given access to the 17-page study on Thursday after it was turned in to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.
According to the investigation, Saurya Airlines did not follow established procedures for handling cargo and baggage, and there were differences between the flight's reported and intended airspeeds and the airline's regular operating procedures. Furthermore, it was determined that the ferry flight authorization processes used by the CAAN were insufficient to guarantee flight safety.
It was seen that the airline did not adhere to the CAAN operations manual's requirements for aircraft load weighing and cargo securing. Moreover, the airspeed of the aircraft did not correspond with the airspeeds required for flight operations as described in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH).
The commission, led by former CAAN Director General Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, has recommended that all airline operators review their speedcards and adhere to proper cargo and baggage handling procedures. It also suggested that CAAN update its procedures for issuing permissions for non-scheduled flights.
The report emphasizes that while the issues with cargo and baggage handling could be common across various airlines, the specific mismatch in airspeeds is unique to the Saurya Airlines crash. The cause of this discrepancy—whether due to pilot error or technical issues with the aircraft—remains unclear.
CAAN has begun integrating the commission's recommendations but is awaiting further directives from the ministry. CAAN's spokesperson, Hansa Raj Pandey, stated that the authority is prepared to face any further actions or recommendations from the ministry.
The probe commission, which was given 45 days to complete its investigation, included experts from various sectors, including Captain Deepu Jwarchan of Nepal Airlines Corporation and Professor Kuldeep Bhattarai of Pulchowk Engineering Campus. The preliminary report was submitted three days before the deadline.
Chair of the probe commission, Suman, mentioned that the commission is still working on the final report. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation is considering whether additional reporting is needed and plans to hold a meeting to decide if the preliminary report is sufficient for issuing directives.
The crash occurred on July 24 at Tribhuvan International Airport, leading to 18 fatalities. The only survivor was the captain, Manish Ratna Shakya, who managed to eject from the plane.
The preliminary findings underscore the necessity for strict safety protocols and legislative revisions to avert future occurrences of this kind by highlighting significant shortcomings by the airline and the aviation authority.
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