How Nepal plane crash pilot survived

The pilot who was the sole survivor of a Nepal plane crash made it out alive because of one lucky reason. Warning: Graphic

The pilot and sole survivor of a plane crash in Nepal’s capital was recovering in hospital after a miraculous escape from an accident that killed 18 others, aviation officials said.

Nepal has a woeful track record on aviation safety and the Himalayan republic has seen a spate of deadly light plane and helicopter crashes over the decades.

A Bombardier CRJ 200 plane operated by Saurya Airlines crashed at Kathmandu airport on Wednesday just as it was beginning its 20-minute flight to the tourism hub Pokhara for a maintenance review.

The pilot Captain Manish Ratna Shakya survived after his cockpit broke off on impact. Picture: Nepal Police/AFP via Getty Images

Gyanendra Bhul of the Civil Aviation Authority told AFP that the pilot remained in hospital but his condition was improving.

he made it out alive after his cockpit broke off from the aircraft on impact.

“The pilot survived because on impact he fell into a cargo container where there were no flames,” he added.

Bhul said the flight had climbed up to 122 metres from the ground but then suddenly veered to the right before crashing near the runway.

Nepal’s government has appointed a five-member investigation team to probe the causes of the crash.

“We will now hand over the black box and the remains of the plane to the committee for investigation,” Bhul said.

Security personnel inspect the remains of a Saurya Airlines flight after it crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Picture: AFP

An army statement said the pilot was rescued bleeding but conscious by soldiers from the wreckage.

Saurya Airlines spokesman Mukesh Khanal told AFP that the flight was carrying a technical team to Pokhara to conduct an extensive maintenance review of the plane at the airport there.

Khanal said the flight was carrying two crew and 17 others, among them the young child of an airline employee.

Relatives of the deceased who died in the Saurya Airlines' plane crash, mourn at a hospital in Kathmandu. Picture: AFP

Rescuers and army personnel stand at the site after a Saurya Airlines' plane crashed during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Picture: AFP

Chilling footage showed the passenger jet nosediving towards the ground after a failed takeoff that killed everyone on board but the pilot.

The footage showed the aircraft spiralling uncontrollably towards a gorge in Kathmandu just moments after it took off from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

The Saurya Airlines jet slams into the ground, erupting into a fireball as it careened along the eastern side of the runway.

Thick, black smoke can be seen billowing from the plane as onlookers gasp in disbelief.

Footage has captured a jet hurtling to the ground seconds after takeoff in Nepal. Eighteen people have died. Picture: Supplied

Thick black smoke envelops the area after a jet crashed in Nepal. Picture: Supplied

Nepal’s air industry has boomed in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas as well as foreign trekkers and climbers.

But it has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance, issues compounded by mountainous Nepal’s treacherous geography.

The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.

Nepal has some of the world’s trickiest runways on which to land, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots.

The moment the plane hurtles towards the ground. Picture: Supplied

A trail of black smoke can be seen as the aircraft erupts in a fireball. Picture: Supplied

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating perilous flying conditions.

Nepal’s last major incident involving a commercial flight was in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines service crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 72 people aboard.

That was Nepal’s deadliest since 1992 when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it crashed on approach to Kathmandu airport.

A Thai Airways aircraft crashed near the same airport earlier that year, killing 113 people.

Chilling footage showed the passenger jet nosediving towards the ground after a failed takeoff that killed everyone on board but the pilot.

The footage showed the aircraft spiralling uncontrollably towards a gorge in Kathmandu just moments after it took off from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Originally published as How Nepal plane crash pilot survived