Summary:

• Date & Location: July 24, 2024, Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-200 (registration 9N-AME).
• Flight Type: Illegal ferry flight to relocate aircraft for maintenance in Pokhara; carried 17 unauthorized passengers plus two pilots.
• Casualties: 18 dead, including airline senior management; captain sole survivor.

Key Issues Leading to Crash

1. Regulatory Violations & Negligence:

• Ferry flight carried unauthorized passengers.
• Cargo loaded improperly including flammable liquids in passenger cabin.
• No flight attendant or safety briefing.
• Skipped essential control checks and maintenance delays.
• Airline had poor safety culture and no quality assurance programs.
• Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) lacked oversight, staff, and enforcement.

2. Pilot Factors:

• Captain and first officer unaware of incorrect V-speed charts (incorrect rotation speeds).
• Captain rotated aircraft too early and too sharply at takeoff.
• Resulted in stall warning triggered shortly after liftoff.
• Pilots failed to recover from stall; plane entered deep stall and crashed.

3. Operational Failures:

• Airline repeatedly financially unstable, poor training and simulator use.
• No internal audits or safety management system effectively implemented.
• Inadequate emergency response at airport; fire services limited access and resources.

4. Investigation & Context:

• Nepal has a poor aviation safety record due to terrain but mostly due to poor regulation and oversight.
• No independent accident investigation agency; investigations lack depth and objectivity.
• Post-crash, Saurya Airlines suspended operations and lost operating certificate but tried to restart in 2025 without clear safety improvements.

Underlying Themes

• Culture of disregard for rules and safety within airline management.
• Lack of proper regulatory enforcement by CAAN.
• Need for independent accident investigations and improved safety culture.
• Nepal’s limited resources and competing priorities complicate aviation safety improvements.

The crash was primarily caused by pilot error aggravated by poor airline practices and regulatory failures, leading to a fatal stall shortly after takeoff. The tragedy highlights systemic problems in Nepal’s aviation industry beyond just terrain challenges.

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