Investigation Summary
The flight departed Kathmandu at 06:51 local time for a scheduled domestic service to Lukla, the primary gateway for Mount Everest trekkers. Lukla is known for its challenging 1,500-foot sloped runway and lack of instrument landing systems. As Flight 101 approached, the crew encountered thick fog and poor visibility. Based on reports from previous flights, the pilots expected a patch of clouds they could navigate through, but the weather deteriorated faster than anticipated. The crew continued the approach under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite entering Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The aircraft was positioned too low and too far to the left of the centerline. On short final, the landing gear caught a perimeter fence and the aircraft struck a rock face below the runway level, leading to a post-crash fire. Upon impact, both pilots were catapulted from the cockpit, which allowed for their initial recovery from the flames, though the First Officer later died.
Final Conclusions
The investigation commission concluded the primary cause was Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) resulting from the captain's decision to continue a visual approach in IMC without ground contact. Contributing factors included the crew's misinterpretation of weather deterioration, poor oversight by both Yeti Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal regarding standard operating procedures, and the failure of airport information services to close the field despite hazardous conditions. The report also noted that the airline prioritized economic considerations over safety, leading to inadequate crew training.
Video Analysis
The Story of Yeti Airlines Flight 103 — A detailed look at the 2008 crash of Yeti Airlines Flight 101 (referred to as 103 in some contexts) at Lukla Airport, examining the pilot's attempt to land in blind conditions.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Sole survivor of the accident.
First Officer
Systems & Failure Modes
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
A set of regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. The crew violated these by continuing into fog.
Automatic Flight Information Service (AFIS)
The ground service responsible for providing weather and traffic information to pilots; the investigation cited personnel stress and workload as reasons the airport remained open during the fog.
Interesting Facts
- 01The captain, Surendra Kunwar, was the only survivor of the 19 people on board.
- 02The aircraft was a DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300 built in 1980; it entered service in Nepal in 1997 with Lumbini Airways before being acquired by Yeti Airlines in 1998.
- 03The airframe had a history of two prior incidents: a collision with a fence at Bajura Airport in 2006 and a runway excursion at Surkhet Airport in 2007.
- 0414 of the 18 fatalities were foreign tourists, including 12 Germans and 2 Australians.
- 05Lukla Airport has no Instrument Landing System (ILS), requiring all approaches to be visual.
- 06The final investigation report was published two months after the accident but only gained wide attention in 2017.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Lukla Operational Restrictions
Safety regulations at Tenzing-Hillary Airport were enhanced, specifically restricting landings during periods of bad weather and poor visibility.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Prioritization of Economics Over Safety
Reference ↗The official investigation report sparked controversy by explicitly accusing Yeti Airlines of prioritizing economic considerations over safety. The report cited 'unequal treatment' between pilots who successfully landed in adverse weather and those who diverted, which created a 'must land' culture that pressured crews to take unnecessary risks.