Understand why Nepal has so many air accidents

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The air tragedy that killed 72 people over the weekend has raised questions about aviation safety in Nepal again.

The country has a unique geography, with no less than 8 of the 10 highest peaks in the world. This topography, combined with strong winds from high altitudes and weather conditions that can change in an instant, makes flying challenging even for experienced pilots.

See a little more about it below and understand what is already known about the most recent accident.

With clear skies, the twin-engine ATR 72 was at low altitude, close to landing, when, according to images published on social media, it made a sharp turn before crashing.

Inside, a passenger would be doing a live; the transmission implies that the passengers were calm, with no signs of alarm. The image suddenly becomes distorted, screams are heard, then a thud and the still screen shows what appears to be flames.

The bodies of 71 of the 72 people on board, including 6 children, have already been found – there is no hope that this missing person is alive.

The Dutch organization Aviation Safety Network points out that 879 people have died in air accidents in Nepal since 1950, considering crashes with aircraft with 12 or more people. In view of the country’s air network and aircraft traffic, analysts say that the number is high.

And why do so many accidents happen there?

1) Pilot training and accident prevention are bad

THE Out there pilot and air accident investigator Mauricio Pontes points to structural issues at the top of the list. According to him, whether due to negligence or due to the lack of a safety culture, the country does not train pilots as it should and faces recurring mechanical problems.

Even with the growth in the tourism industry, there is no accident prevention and investigation agency or bodies to standardize safety procedures. It is for not meeting the minimum requirements that Nepalese companies cannot fly in European Union airspace, for example.

2) Weather makes flying challenging even for experienced pilots

Amid the Himalayas and some of the highest mountains in the world, including Everest, landings and takeoffs are considered complex in Nepal — a country that has an average altitude of 3,265 meters, second only to Bhutan.

• With the mountainous relief, the tracks are shorter, which reduces the room for manoeuvre;

• Weather conditions become unstable, with abrupt changes such as snowstorms and complete loss of visibility surprising pilots. Often flights need to return to the origin airport;

• In high regions, the rarefied air and strong winds hinder stability during takeoffs and landings, times when the plane’s speed is lower.

Nepal’s own Civil Aviation Authority called the local topography “hostile” in a 2019 report.

• “Often pilots are totally dependent on the aircraft’s equipment and airport guidelines. But, in some parts of Nepal, support and infrastructure are precarious“, says Bridges.

3) Tourism on the rise takes aircraft to the extreme

Aviation in Nepal has expanded in part due to the increase in tourists. In recent years there have even been queues to climb Everest (!).

Roberto Thiele, an aeronautical engineer trained at ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) says that, with high demand, aircraft fly in conditions closer to the limits.

Some of the country’s airports are in remote regions, which serve primarily to receive supplies and climbers.

And what caused Sunday’s accident? The causes are still a mystery. Pokhara, the city in the center of the country where the fall occurred, is located at an altitude of 850 meters, not much different from, for example, São Paulo (760 meters).

The sky was clear, there was little wind and the aircraft was far from mountains or valleys. The pilot apparently did not communicate any abnormalities to the passengers. But, according to Thiele’s assessment, the aircraft seemed to fly lower and slower than normal.

How are the investigations going? The black boxes were recovered in good condition. The investigation has the participation of French specialists, because the aircraft was manufactured in the country – a standard procedure in these cases.

Is the plane model safe? Yes. Also common in Brazil, the ATR 72 aircraft are considered modern and known for their ability to operate in “difficult conditions and terrain”.

According to the FlightRadar24 website, the aircraft that crashed in Nepal was 15 years old and equipped with an old transponder, but any problems related to maintenance can only be answered by investigation.

picture of the week

Where: Lutzerath, Germany

What happened: Environmental activist Greta Thunberg, 20, was arrested during a protest against coal mine expansion; according to the police, she was released shortly after having her identity confirmed.

And the war?

An air tragedy also left victims in Ukraine. At least 14 people were killed, including Interior Minister Denis Monastirski, when a helicopter crashed outside Kiev on Wednesday.

The causes are still unknown, but the government of the country invaded by Russia does not rule out sabotage — a hypothesis that was reinforced by Volodymir Zelensky in a videoconference at the World Economic Forum, in Davos.

The vehicle hit a kindergarten, and at least one of the victims is a child who was on the ground. Another 29 people were injured, 15 students from the school.

The incident followed another attack targeting civilians. On Saturday (14), a missile attributed to Russia destroyed a residential building in Dnipro, killing 45 people. At the front, fighting continues to rage in Bakhmut, in Donetsk province, one of those illegally annexed by Vladimir Putin in September.

WHAT HAPPENED?

A selection of news to understand the world

Oceania

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that she will step down by February 7. The country will have general elections on October 14. “I know what this job requires. And I know I don’t have the energy to do it well anymore,” she said.

Asia

Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, has been acquitted of tax evasion charges made by the government of former President Rodrigo Duterte. A critic of the populist politician, she is facing a series of lawsuits filed by authorities related to her professional activities in the courts.

Africa

The military regime that runs Burkina Faso has claimed that around 50 women have been kidnapped by radical Islamist groups in Soum province. The mass kidnapping is the first recorded in the African country since violence by jihadist groups spread across the territory from 2015.