Air Kasthamandap Flight 9N-AJB

Air Kasthamandap — Flight 9N-AJB

On February 26, 2016, an Air Kasthamandap PAC 750XL crashed near Chilkhaya while attempting an emergency landing following an in-flight engine failure. The aircraft was performing a passenger flight from Nepalgunj to Jumla with 11 people on board. While the flight was operated as a passenger service, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) later stated that single-engine aircraft were only authorized for chartered operations, not regular scheduled flights. Approximately 35 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power, forcing the crew to seek a landing site in mountainous terrain. During the touchdown in a field, the landing gear became entangled in a pile of firewood, causing the aircraft to impact the ground nose-first. Both pilots were killed, while all nine passengers survived with injuries. The investigation determined that the engine failure was a result of poor maintenance practices driven by the airline's financial difficulties.

Aircraft

Pacific Aerospace 750XL

Registration

9N-AJB

Phase

Cause

Souls on Board

Fatalities

Origin → Dest

Nepalgunj Airport → Jumla Airport

Report

Investigation Summary

The accident flight departed Nepalgunj at 12:30 local time. While cruising toward Jumla, the single-engine turboprop suffered a total loss of power. The flight crew, Captain Dinesh Neupane and First Officer Santosh Rana, alerted the passengers to the emergency and attempted to glide the aircraft to a suitable landing area near the village of Chilkhaya. The chosen field was not a prepared surface, and as the aircraft touched down, the landing gear struck an accumulation of firewood. This obstruction caused the aircraft to pitch forward violently, crushing the forward fuselage and cockpit area. The impact was fatal for both pilots, who were praised for their efforts to steer the aircraft away from populated areas and for providing a warning to the passengers that likely contributed to the high survival rate in the cabin.

Final Conclusions

The official investigation report, released in September 2016, concluded that the primary cause of the accident was engine failure due to inadequate maintenance. The engine, originally manufactured in 1991, had been installed on the airframe in 2015. Investigators found that Air Kasthamandap was experiencing significant financial distress, which led to the neglect of critical maintenance requirements for the aircraft's powerplant. The report also highlighted the inherent risks of operating single-engine aircraft for passenger transport in Nepal's challenging terrain, leading to immediate regulatory changes by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Video Analysis

No video analysis linked for this case file yet.

Airframe & Maintenance

Airframe Hours

Engines

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34

Systems & Failure Modes

PT6A Turboprop Engine

The single engine powering the PAC 750XL; its failure left the aircraft with no power, requiring a forced glide landing in mountainous terrain.

Landing Gear

The tricycle landing gear became entangled in firewood during the off-field landing, leading to the nose-over impact that destroyed the cockpit.

Interesting Facts

01The aircraft was a PAC 750XL delivered new to the airline in 2009 (MSN 160).
02The engine involved was built in 1991 and had been installed on the aircraft in 2015.
03The airline was reportedly suffering from financial difficulties that led to maintenance neglect.
04Following the crash, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) banned single-engine aircraft from operating passenger flights.
05First Officer Santosh Rana was the son of a high-ranking Nepalese politician, Dal Bahadur Rana.

Safety Actions & Advisories

Single-Engine Passenger Flight Ban

Immediately following the accident, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) forbid airlines from operating passenger flights using single-engine aircraft, restricting them to cargo or chartered operations only.

Location

Chilkhaya, Kalikot District, Nepal · 29.0833, 81.8667

APPROXIMATE POSITION · Position recorded by the wikidata coordinate without a stated precision, so the ring shows roughly where the event occurred rather than an exact point. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.