68 mishaps in as many years: Why is Nepal prone to air disasters?

Kathmandu, Nepal – Business flights are thought-about one of many most secure modes of transport around the globe, however not a lot in Nepal.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has recorded at the least 68 aeroplane accidents within the nation since 1955 – 44 of them lethal, together with Sunday’s crash of a Yeti Airways passenger aircraft that killed all 72 folks on board.

The most recent tragedy has reignited debates round air journey security within the Himalayan nation, dwelling to a few of the world’s highest mountain peaks, together with Mount Everest, and vastly common with international vacationers, mountaineers and skiers.

Al Jazeera particulars three foremost the reason why Nepal’s skies are liable to aviation disasters which have killed greater than 900 folks since 1955.

Climate and terrain

Scenic Nepal is dwelling to treacherous terrains and unpredictable climate, particularly throughout the monsoons. That’s the reason Nepal’s aviation largely is determined by a restricted sort of plane akin to Twin Otters, Let-L 410s and Dorniers.

Such planes want shorter takeoff and touchdown (STOL) airfields in high-terrain areas, versus the so-called trunk sector – the area with higher airports the place larger planes can fly.

“The unpredictable climate modifications within the excessive terrains between takeoff and touchdown is the explanation for many accidents. In these routes, most home flights use visible flight guidelines (VFR) by which the pilot controls and navigates the aircraft utilizing visible references from outdoors,” aviation knowledgeable Sanjeev Gautam informed Al Jazeera.

A senior pilot of nationwide service Nepal Airways mentioned the “excessive terrains are troublesome and on high of that we lack good tools and services”.

“We’d like floor tools in addition to a better-equipped plane with newer expertise within the STOL sector,” he mentioned on situation of anonymity.

“Following VFR guidelines precisely is just not doable in our climate circumstances. For instance, the foundations say to not enter the clouds however typically it’s unattainable to keep away from them. Therefore pilots take the dangers of breaking the foundations,” he added.

Ageing plane

Aviation consultants say business plane by no means get to a degree the place they aren’t match to fly and nonetheless in operation.

“Plane don’t age as we predict. In fact they get previous if we contemplate their manufacturing date. However because the elements are changed very often, they continue to be useful for a few years,” Gautam informed Al Jazeera.

“However we should perceive, the older the plane, the upper the upkeep price. It’s like another equipment,” he mentioned.

A lot of the plane working in Nepal should not model new. They price quite a bit and flying them might not be viable in an economically backward nation.

“Now we have to choose to purchase used plane as a result of we can not keep the identical ticket costs if funding is completed in a brand new plane,” Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesman at Yeti Airways, informed Al Jazeera.

Producers say the elements of an plane ought to be routinely changed at licensed upkeep retailers.

Earlier than an plane is purchased, a normal means of “sort certification” is carried out by the civil aviation authorities such because the European Union Aviation Security Company (EASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or any contracting state authority earlier than it receives a certificates of airworthiness for operations.

The 15-year-old Yeti ATR 72-500, which crashed in clear climate within the vacationer city of Pokhara on Sunday, had additionally undergone this rigorous course of earlier than acquiring permission to fly in Nepal.

“It was a complicated mannequin very appropriate for Nepal, however we have no idea what went mistaken,” spokesman Bartaula mentioned.

“It’s not that that plane was previous, there are a lot older plane flying in Nepalese skies.”

Forms

The United Nations-controlled Worldwide Civil Aviation Group (ICAO) has beneficial that Nepal ought to unbundle the CAAN and separate it from finishing up two duties: of a regulator in addition to a service supplier.

ICAO says such a state of affairs is conflicting. This dichotomy can be mentioned to be one of many foremost causes behind the EU blacklisting Nepali plane flying into its territory since 2013.

The break up of those two CAAN duties is what Nepalese pilots, operators and consultants declare is essential to the reforms required within the nation’s aviation sector.

“It is rather vital that we separate the 2 work capabilities of the CAAN as quickly as doable. This is step one in the direction of revamping your complete Nepalese aviation business,” knowledgeable Gautam informed Al Jazeera.

Two aviation-related payments calling for a break up in CAAN’s duties and a restructuring of the nationwide aviation sector are pending earlier than the Nepalese parliament since 2020.

Aviation knowledgeable Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, former director common of CAAN, mentioned a revamp of the physique is just not straightforward.

“Merely separating the 2 won’t assist, designating the 2 entities with autonomy and sustainability can be crucial. We should make sure that the regulatory half is highly effective and sustainable too,” Suman informed Al Jazeera.

If separated, one half will probably be chargeable for aviation regulatory points akin to security and inspections whereas the service supplier will enterprise in the direction of managing infrastructure and airports.

To reform the aviation business, Suman suggests stringent enforcement of laws.

“Now we have to have strict enforcement. The fines for breaching aviation guidelines are peanuts, nobody has been charged, not one licence has been revoked. It’s excessive time we guarantee these into our business so there isn’t any malpractice,” he informed Al Jazeera.

Specialists additionally really feel the pilots in Nepal require extra and correct coaching.

“On the finish, everybody factors to pilot error throughout accidents. However the preamble to that’s the operator who ought to guarantee sufficient coaching to get high quality pilots,” mentioned the Nepal Airways pilot.

Gautam thinks merely placing the blame on pilots doesn’t clear up the issue.

“You will need to perceive that operators rent the pilot and these operators are overseen by CAAN authorising their licences. So after we discover faults in a pilot, we must always know the fault is in your complete system the place everyone seems to be related.”