The new airport in Nepal, the destination of the plane that crashed last weekend, did not have an instrument landing system.
This will continue until 26 February, 56-days after the airport was opened on 1 January.
A landing instrument system is especially useful for pilots who are having trouble seeing. However, conditions Sunday were clear with low winds, clear sky, and temperatures well above freezing.
The plane crashed into a gorge while approaching Pokhara International Airport, after it had flown from Kathmandu, the capital.
Only a mile away from the runway is the crash site at 2,700ft (820m) high.
Yeti Airlines stated that the plane’s cockpit audio recorder would be analysed locally and the flight data recorder sent to France. Both were found on Monday.
Although the cause of the crash is still unknown, experts in aviation said that video from the scene showed the twin-engine ATR-500 going into a stall.
India’s Safety Matters Foundation founder Pilot Amit Singh said that the absence of an instrument landing system and navigational aids could have contributed to the crash. He also pointed out a “notoriously poor air safety culture” in Nepal.
He said, “Flying in Nepal can be difficult if you don’t have navigational aids. This adds extra work to the pilot when they encounter problems during flight.
“The lack of an instrument landing system in Nepal only confirms that the country’s aviation safety culture is inadequate.”
Safety Matters Foundation reports that there have been 42 plane crashes that killed people in Nepal’s mountainous region since 1946.
Continue reading
Blackbox and cockpit voice recorder taken from a plane that crashed in Nepal were
Nepal plane crashes: What happened?
Since 2013, Nepali airlines are prohibited from flying to the European Union. The EU has cited weak safety standards.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) noted improvement in Nepal’s aviation sector in 2017, but the EU insists on administrative reforms.
Pushpa Kamal Dhal, Nepal’s prime Minister, met with the families of bereaved people on Thursday. She asked hospital officials to complete any remaining post-mortem examinations as soon as possible.
Authorities said that several bodies with severe burns are still unknown.
reply
retweet
favourite
