Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU1665
2006-06-23 12:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
COMMERCIAL TURBO PROP AIRCRAFT CRASHES, NO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHKT #1665 1741243 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 231243Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2066 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 4516 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 4772 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 9885 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2758 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4169 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 9918 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001665
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: EAIR CASC NP
SUBJECT: COMMERCIAL TURBO PROP AIRCRAFT CRASHES, NO
AMERICANS ON BOARD
NINE NEPALIS DIE IN BOTCHED LANDING
-----------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001665
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: EAIR CASC NP
SUBJECT: COMMERCIAL TURBO PROP AIRCRAFT CRASHES, NO
AMERICANS ON BOARD
NINE NEPALIS DIE IN BOTCHED LANDING
--------------
1. (C) On June 21, a YETI Airlines DeHavilland DH-6 Twin
Otter aircraft crashed in a failed landing attempt at the
remote Jumla airport in western Nepal killing all nine
Nepalis on board. Mohan Adhikari, Officiating Director
General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN),
explained to Emboff that the DH-6 aircraft was on a normal
approach pattern to land, but because the plane was traveling
too fast it overflew the runway. The plane then attempted a
sharp turn to circle and land at the runway in the opposite
direction. Before the plane could complete the turn it
crashed into a hill 500 meters from the runway. Adhikari
said that at the time of the crash the weather was good and
the wind was very light. He speculated that the pilot may
have attempted the sharp turn in order to land before another
plane that was approximately three minutes behind the YETI
Airlines flight. Adhikari suggested that the cause of the
crash was "human error" and that the pilot might not have
followed standard operating procedures. He explained that a
five-member investigation committee was already looking into
the details of the crash; three of the five were from the
Attorney General's Office, the Royal Nepal Airlines
Corporation (the national air carrier),and CAAN.
2. (C) Adhikari said the Canadian-made Twin Otter aircraft
had been in service with YETI Airlines for 27 years, but he
did not know the exact manufacture date. Mukunda Jawalanand,
a Section Officer at CAAN, explained to Emboff that the pilot
had over 17,000 hours of flight time. The last five plane
crashes in Nepal since 2000 have all been Twin Otter
aircraft. Adhikari opined that these crashes had more to do
with Nepal's challenging topography than with any problems
with the Twin Otter aircraft.
MORIARTY
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: EAIR CASC NP
SUBJECT: COMMERCIAL TURBO PROP AIRCRAFT CRASHES, NO
AMERICANS ON BOARD
NINE NEPALIS DIE IN BOTCHED LANDING
--------------
1. (C) On June 21, a YETI Airlines DeHavilland DH-6 Twin
Otter aircraft crashed in a failed landing attempt at the
remote Jumla airport in western Nepal killing all nine
Nepalis on board. Mohan Adhikari, Officiating Director
General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN),
explained to Emboff that the DH-6 aircraft was on a normal
approach pattern to land, but because the plane was traveling
too fast it overflew the runway. The plane then attempted a
sharp turn to circle and land at the runway in the opposite
direction. Before the plane could complete the turn it
crashed into a hill 500 meters from the runway. Adhikari
said that at the time of the crash the weather was good and
the wind was very light. He speculated that the pilot may
have attempted the sharp turn in order to land before another
plane that was approximately three minutes behind the YETI
Airlines flight. Adhikari suggested that the cause of the
crash was "human error" and that the pilot might not have
followed standard operating procedures. He explained that a
five-member investigation committee was already looking into
the details of the crash; three of the five were from the
Attorney General's Office, the Royal Nepal Airlines
Corporation (the national air carrier),and CAAN.
2. (C) Adhikari said the Canadian-made Twin Otter aircraft
had been in service with YETI Airlines for 27 years, but he
did not know the exact manufacture date. Mukunda Jawalanand,
a Section Officer at CAAN, explained to Emboff that the pilot
had over 17,000 hours of flight time. The last five plane
crashes in Nepal since 2000 have all been Twin Otter
aircraft. Adhikari opined that these crashes had more to do
with Nepal's challenging topography than with any problems
with the Twin Otter aircraft.
MORIARTY