Plane flew erratically before Nepal crash

A PLANE that crashed at Kathmandu airport killing 49 people swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames.

Us-bangla Airlines flight BS211 from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Kathmandu was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members.

Police spokesman Manoj Neupane said yesterday 49 people were confirmed to have been killed and 22 injured. They were being treated in local hospitals.

The government has ordered an investigation to find the cause.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said a six-member investigative team headed by a former government secretary will gather the facts to determine the cause and prevent future crashes.

There have been reports that piltos were confused. In a recording posted by air traffic monitoring website liveatc.net, the pilot asked for permission to land from the north, which an air traffic controller granted.

Less than a minute later the pilot said he was ready to land from the south, and the controller repeated that, clearing the plane to land from the south.

A separate conversation between the tower and a Nepali pilot added to the sense of miscommunication between the controllers and the pilot of the Bangladeshi plane.

“Looks like they are really confused,” one man says in Nepali talking about Us-bangla Flight BS211. “They appear to be extremely disoriented,” another man said.

Just before landing the pilot asks, “Are we cleared to land?” Moments later, the controller comes back on, using a tone rarely heard in such conversations – perhaps even panic – and tells the pilot: “I say again, turn!”

Seconds later, the controller orders fire engines on to the runway.