The Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal that claimed 72 lives nearly a year ago was caused due to a combination of human error and a critical lack of awareness among the flight crew, the official report from a government-appointed investigation panel said on Friday (Dec 29). The Yeti Airlines service was flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara when it crashed.
The report, presented by a five-member Investigation Commission, highlighted that the pilots inadvertently moved both condition levers to the feathered position during flight, a critical error that led to the feathering of both propellers and subsequent loss of thrust.
This sequence of events resulted in an aerodynamic stall and led to the collision with the terrain.
Dipak Prasad Bastola, an aeronautical engineer and a member of the investigative panel, clarified said the pilots mistakenly placed the condition levers, responsible for controlling power, in the feathering position instead of selecting the flap lever.
Due to this, the engine ran idle and could not produce thrust to stay up in the air.
The aircraft crashed on the ground 49 seconds later.
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Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, another member of the investigation commission, said that the probe’s conclusion pointed to a critical “wrong lever” being pulled in the cockpit.
“Technically, the plane was fine but it seems wrong human input caused it to stall and crash,” he explained.
The aircraft involved, operated by privately owned Yeti Airlines, was an ATR 72 with engines manufactured in Canada by Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Since 2013, the European Union has prohibited Nepali airlines from its airspace, citing safety concerns.
The report submitted to the Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, after eight months and three days of investigation called the need for stringent safety measures.
The incident involving Yeti Airlines in Pokhara marked the 104th crash in Nepali skies and ranked as the third biggest in terms of casualties.
(With inputs from agencies)
