Nepal Airlines Flight 183

Nepal Airlines Flight 183

Accident site in Arghakhanchi District of Nepal
Crash summary
Date 16 February 2014
Summary CFIT
Site Dhikura, Arghakhanchi District, Nepal
27°55′N 83°07′E / 27.91°N 83.12°ECoordinates: 27°55′N 83°07′E / 27.91°N 83.12°E
Passengers 15
Crew 3
Fatalities 18 (all)
Survivors 0
Aircraft type de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator Nepal Airlines
Registration 9N-ABB
Flight origin Pokhara Airport, Nepal
Destination Jumla Airport, Nepal

Nepal Airlines Flight 183 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter that crashed in the jungles near Dhikura VDC about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) south-west of Pokhara, Nepal, on 16 February 2014.[1][2] Burning wreckage was reported sighted from a surveillance helicopter and it was concluded that the aircraft had crashed into a hill.

History

The aircraft departed from Pokhara Airport in central Nepal with fifteen passengers and three crew members on board and was scheduled to arrive at Jumla Airport in the northwest of the country at 13:45 Nepal Standard Time (8:00 UTC).[3] Thirty minutes into the flight, the 19-seat Twin Otter was attempting to divert to Bhairahawa Airport because of the weather conditions, resulting in radio contact being lost. The last radio communication with the aircraft crew was at 13:13, when the crew reported their approximate position to Bhairahawa Tower, which was in Khidim VDC.[4] The aircraft eventually crashed in the jungle of Masine Lek, which is located in Dhikura VDC of Arghakhanchi District.[5]

Although the crash itself was not witnessed, some residents saw remains of the crashed aircraft. At first, no one was able to get to the crash site due to poor visibility. When the rescue and recovery teams eventually reached the crash site, they found the bodies of all eighteen on board spread over the hill.[6][7]

According to Nepal's Army, the crash site is located at an altitude of 7,000 feet (2,100 m). Parts of the wreckage were found as far away as 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) from the actual crash site.

Demographics of passengers

According to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal official Ram Hari Sharma, everybody on board, except for one Danish national, were Nepalese, including a child.[6]

Investigation

The Nepalese Government formed a four-man probe team to investigate the crash. The aircraft's flight recorder was taken from the site. The investigation team was expected to report its findings within two months of the crash.[8]

The final report of the investigation was released on 25 August 2014. It found the accident was caused by a lack of crew coordination; a lack of situational awareness on the part of the crew; and the poor weather.[9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nepal Airlines Flight 183.
  1. ↑ "Nepal Airlines plane with 18 aboard missing – World – CBC News". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Plane assumed crashed in Arghakhanchi still missing – Detail News : Nepal News Portal". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Crash: Nepal DHC6 near Khidim on Feb 16th 2014, aircraft impacted terrain". Avherald.com. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 9N-ABB Khidim". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Missing Nepal plane: Wreckage found". BBC News. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "18 feared dead as plane crashes in Nepal mountains". USA Today. Associated Press. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Nepal plane crash kills 18 in snow, rain and fog". USA Today. Associated Press. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Adhikari, Deepak (18 February 2014). "Nepal plane crash in bad weather killed all 18 on board". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.tourism.gov.np/uploaded/1%209N%20ABB%20Accident%20Investigation%20Final%20Report%202014.pdf