Miscommunication blamed for Nepal crash
Miscommunication between air traffic controllers and the pilot of US-Bangla Flight BS 211 is being blamed for the fatal plane crash on Monday in Kathmandu that killed at least 51 people and injured 20.
According to Nepal’s civil aviation authority (CAAN), the plane was permitted to land in Kathmandu airport from Runway 02 in the southern side but all of a sudden it changed its alignment and took a left turn, proceeding towards Runway 20 in the northern end of the airport.
The radio conversation stated that the aircraft was about to approach and other pilots were heard warning the ATC that the US-Bangla pilot seemed disoriented.
CAAN director general Sanjib Gautam said that preliminary investigation showed the US-Bangla Airline passenger plane crashed because of abnormal landing.
He said the ATC had requested the pilots for landing in a proper way after the aircraft, which was to land from the south, changed its course. The aircraft also did not declare an emergency while landing, he said.
“The airport had kept other aircraft on hold after the abnormal landing by the US Bangla aircraft,” Gautam said.
But the CEO of US-Bangla disagreed with the explanation given by CAAN. Imran Asif claimed the ATC passed incorrect information to the pilot, leading to the crash. “The pilot, Capt Abid Sultan is alive and not at fault. He is a very skilled pilot and we have not even had any technical malfunctions over three years,” he told Bangladeshi media.
Nepal government has formed a panel to probe the reason behind the fatal accident.
Meanwhile, CAAN has also launched an investigation into how the radio conversation between the ATC and the pilot was leaked.
“The recorded audio between ATC and pilot cannot be released without prior permission of CAAN director general. CIB (Central Investigation Bureau) is now investigating the series of events,” The Himalayan Times quoted Gautam as saying.