Nepal Plane Crash: Aircraft crashes during takeoff at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu

A Saurya Airlines aircraft crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday morning. The incident happened during takeoff. The aircraft was headed for Pokhara.    

The flight had the airline's technical staff and no passengers on board, said TIA information officer Gyanendra Bhul.

The captain of the ship, 37-year-old Manish Shakya, was rescued and taken to KPC Hospital, police said.

All died except Captain Shakya. There were 19 people on board, including two crew members.

It was found that the Sourya Air aircraft was about to arrive in Pokhara for regular technical inspection. 

Saurya Airlines had applied to keep the aircraft in the hangar of Pokhara International Airport for a month starting Wednesday, said Jashoda Regmi, information officer at Pokhara International Airport, which also provides hangar facilities.

"We do regular servicing of bikes and cars, similarly, Solar Air's aircraft also applied to be kept in the hangar of Pokhara Airport for a month from today for routine checkup," Regmi told Zee Business.

According to Regmi, the ship is kept in the hangar for technical testing.

According to Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, the 9N-AME/CRJ 200 call sign aircraft of Sourya Air crashed at 11:11 am on Wednesday while taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara. 

Saurya Airlines 9N-AME crash@TIACAO2 Press Release - 1 pic.twitter.com/UdVXyJidGd

— Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (@hello_CAANepal) July 24, 2024

The plane crashed near Runway 20 eastbound from Runway 2.