Eighteen people were killed when a Saurya Airlines plane, 9N-AME (CRJ 200), crashed during taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu. There were 19 persons on the Pokhara-bound plane.
Pilot rescued from the wreckage
Manish Shakya, 37, the plane’s pilot, was rescued from the wreckage and transported to a local hospital in Sinamangal for medical care.
Gyanendra Bhul, an information officer at the TIA, informed The Himalayan that the plane was carrying airline technical experts. The aircraft was being sent to Pokhara Regional Airport for maintenance.
The aircraft involved is a Bombardier CRJ-200ER with the registration 9N-AME. The aircraft was built in 2003.
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Police and Firefighters deployed to the site for rescue ops
After the crash, smoke was visible rising from the plane. Police and firefighters have been dispatched to the scene to conduct rescue operations.
According to eyewitnesses, the jet flipped while taking off from the southern end of the runway, with the wingtip striking the ground, according to The Kathmandu Post. The airplane quickly caught fire and crashed into a canyon on the eastern side of the runway.
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Airline was acquired by India’s Kuber Group in 2019
The airline was bought by India’s Kuber Group in 2019 for 630 million Nepali rupees. There were reports in 2021 that the airline might rename as Kuber Airlines, however this was put on hold.
The Kathmandu airport canceled all Saurya Airlines flights on December 6, 2018, after the airline failed to pay its debts. It was allowed to restart operations in 2020 after paying a portion of the $355,000 debt owing to the airport, according to the article.
