Investigation Summary
The flight departed Kathmandu at 14:29 local time for a scheduled domestic flight to Bharatpur. On board were 16 passengers, including Nepali Ministry of Health employees traveling to flood-affected regions, and 3 crew members. The weather in the region was poor, characterized by monsoon conditions and reduced visibility. At the time, the Bharatpur area had been suffering from severe flooding, which had knocked out the airport's Non-Directional Beacon (NDB). Without the NDB, the crew had to rely on visual navigation or other instruments in a region known for its treacherous mountainous terrain. The aircraft maintained normal contact with air traffic control until 14:45. Six minutes later, the plane struck the side of Chule Ghopte hill at an elevation that suggested the crew was unaware of their proximity to the terrain. The wreckage was located approximately 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) north of the airport. The investigation highlighted that the Indian first officer may have been unfamiliar with the specific challenges of Nepal's mountainous topography, potentially contributing to the loss of situational awareness.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). Contributing factors included poor visibility due to bad weather and the failure of the ground-based Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) at Bharatpur Airport, which was out of service due to flooding. The lack of this navigational aid, combined with the crew's possible lack of local terrain familiarity, led to the aircraft impacting high ground during the approach phase.
Video Analysis
Nepal's Aviation Safety History — A look at the recurring safety challenges and historical accidents in Nepal, including the difficult terrain and weather factors that contributed to the 1993 Everest Air crash.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Non-Directional Beacon (NDB)
A ground-based radio transmitter used for navigation; its failure due to flooding left the crew without a key guidance signal for the Bharatpur approach.
Terrain Awareness
The crew's situational awareness regarding the high ground surrounding Bharatpur was compromised by poor visibility and the lack of functional navigational aids.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Dornier 228-101 built in 1984, previously operated in Germany and the Marshall Islands.
- 02The crash occurred exactly one year to the day after the Thai Airways Flight 311 disaster in Nepal.
- 03The Bharatpur NDB was non-functional at the time of the accident due to recent heavy flooding.
- 04The passenger manifest included 14 Nepalis, one Japanese national, and one Hungarian national.
- 05The flight crew consisted of a Nepali captain and an Indian first officer.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Navigational Aid Restoration
Following the accident, emphasis was placed on the rapid restoration and hardening of ground-based navigational aids like NDBs against monsoon-related flooding to ensure continuous service during peak weather events.
Terrain Familiarization Training
The investigation prompted recommendations for enhanced terrain awareness and route-specific familiarization for foreign pilots operating in Nepal's challenging mountainous environment.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikipedia geotag.