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{{Short description|2016 passenger plane crash in Dana, Nepal}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} |
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{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}} |
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}} |
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{{Infobox aircraft occurrence |
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence |
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| name = Tara Air Flight 193 |
| name = Tara Air Flight 193 |
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| image = |
| image = 9N-ABM TARA AIR DHC 6 TWIN OTTER AT POKHARA RECENTLY ARRIVED FROM JOMSON AIRPORT NEPAL FEB 2013 (8569369692).jpg |
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| image_upright = 1.1 |
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| alt = Twin engine passenger aircraft on the ground |
| alt = Twin engine passenger aircraft on the ground |
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| caption = A DHC-6 of Tara Air similar to the crashed aircraft |
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|image_size=300 |
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| caption = DHC-6 9N-ABM of Tara Airlines, similar to the one that crashed |
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| date = {{start date|2016|02|24|df=yes}} |
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| summary = Under investigation |
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| occurrence_type = Accident |
| occurrence_type = Accident |
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| |
| date = {{start date|2016|02|24|df=yes}} |
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| summary = [[Visual flight rules|VFR]] into [[Instrument meteorological conditions|IMC]], loss of situational awareness, [[controlled flight into terrain]] |
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| site = [[Dana, Nepal|Dana]], [[Myagdi District]], Nepal |
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| coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} --> |
| coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} --> |
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| aircraft_type = [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter]] |
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| origin = [[Pokhara Airport]], [[Pokhara]] |
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| destination = [[Jomsom Airport]], [[Jomsom]] |
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| passengers = 20 |
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| crew = 3 |
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| injuries = |
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| fatalities = 23 (all) |
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| missing = |
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| survivors = 0 |
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| aircraft_type = [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] Series 400 built by [[Viking Air]] |
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| aircraft_name = |
| aircraft_name = |
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| operator = [[Tara Air]] |
| operator = [[Tara Air]] |
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| IATA = TB193 |
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| ICAO = TRA193 |
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| callsign = Tara Air 193 |
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| tail_number = 9N-AHH |
| tail_number = 9N-AHH |
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| origin = [[Pokhara Airport]], [[Pokhara]], Nepal |
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| destination = [[Jomsom Airport]], [[Jomsom]], Nepal |
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| occupants = 23 |
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| passengers = 20 |
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| crew = 3 |
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| fatalities = 23 |
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| survivors = 0 |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Tara Air Flight 193''' was a scheduled [[domestic passenger flight]] from [[Pokhara]] to [[Jomsom]], Nepal. On 24 February 2016, eight minutes after take-off, the aircraft serving the flight, a [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter]] went missing with 23 people on board.<ref name="TKP">{{cite web |title=Missing Tara Air plane with 23 onboard could have crashed in Myagdi's Rupse |url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-02-24/a-tara-air-plane-en-route-to-jomsom-from-pokhara-missing.html |access-date=24 February 2016 |work=[[The Kathmandu Post]] |date=24 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="Hradecky">{{cite web|last=Hradecky|first=Simon|date=24 February 2016|title=Crash: Tara DHC6 near Pokhara on Feb 24th 2016, aircraft impacted terrain|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=49468c0e|access-date=24 February 2016|work=The Aviation Herald}}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |title=Plane crash feared in Nepal as flight carrying 21 goes missing in mountains |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/24/plane-crash-nepal-missing-mountains-pokhara-jomsom |access-date=24 February 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=24 February 2016}}</ref> |
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Hours later, the wreckage was found near the village of [[Dana, Nepal|Dana]], [[Myagdi District]]. There were no survivors.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/missing-nepal-tara-air-passenger-plane-found-crashed-in-jungle-amid-fears-no-one-survived-34481080.html |title=Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle' amid fears no one survived |date=24 February 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225110627/http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/missing-nepal-tara-air-passenger-plane-found-crashed-in-jungle-amid-fears-no-one-survived-34481080.html |archive-date=25 February 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It was Tara Air's deadliest accident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/operator/airline.php?var=8929 |title=Tara Air |website=[[Aviation Safety Network]] |publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]] |access-date=14 August 2018}}</ref> |
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==Aircraft== |
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The [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|DHC-6 Twin Otter]] was a Series 400 version built in 2012 by [[Viking Air]] with manufacturer's serial number 926.<ref name="Airframes">{{cite web |title=Aircraft Registration Database Lookup |url=http://www.airframes.org/reg/cguvt |publisher=Airframes.org |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> In September 2015, it was delivered to [[Tara Air]] and registered 9N-AHH.<ref name="ASN">{{cite web|last=Ranter|first=Harro|title=ASN Aircraft accident Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 400 9N-AHH Dana, Myagdi district|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160224-0|access-date=24 February 2016|website=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]]}}</ref><ref name="Airframes"/><ref>{{cite web |title=2016-02-24 Tara Air Twin Otter crashed in Myagdi District, Nepal |publisher=[[Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre|JACDEC]] |url=http://www.jacdec.de/2016/02/24/2016-02-24-tara-air-twin-otter-missing-in-myagdi-district-nepal/ |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> |
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==Passengers== |
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Of the 20 passengers on board, 18{{spnd}}including 2 children<ref name="HT">{{cite web |title=23 confirmed dead in Myagdi plane crash |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/23-confirmed-dead-in-myagdi-plane-crash/ |website=The Himalayan Times |date=24 February 2016 |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref>{{spnd}} were from Nepal, one was from Hong Kong, and another was from Kuwait.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35647929 |title=Nepal small passenger plane wreckage found |date=24 February 2016 |access-date=24 February 2016 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> |
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==Flight== |
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{{Location map many |
{{Location map many |
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| Nepal |
| Nepal |
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| caption = Map of Nepal showing the crash site between the departure airport (Pokhara) and the intended destination (Jomson) |
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| alt = |
| alt = |
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| relief = 1 |
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| AlternativeMap = |
| AlternativeMap = |
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| <!--first label/marker--> |
| <!--first label/marker--> |
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| label1 = |
| label1 = Pokhara |
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| position1 = bottom |
| position1 = bottom |
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| mark1 = City locator 9.svg |
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| mark1size = 10 |
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| lat1_deg = 28 |
| lat1_deg = 28 |
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| lat1_min = 12 |
| lat1_min = 12 |
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| lon1_dir = E |
| lon1_dir = E |
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| <!--second label/marker--> |
| <!--second label/marker--> |
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| label2 = |
| label2 = Crash site |
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| position2 = |
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| background2 = #FFFFDD |
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| mark2 = Airplane silhouette.svg |
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| lon2_dir = E |
| lon2_dir = E |
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| <!--third label/marker--> |
| <!--third label/marker--> |
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| label3 = |
| label3 = Jomson |
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| label3_size = |
| label3_size = |
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| position3 = left |
| position3 = left |
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| background3 = |
| background3 = #FFFFDD |
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}} |
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The aircraft took off from [[Pokhara]] at 7:50{{nbsp}}am local time. The normal flight duration on the route is 18{{nbsp}}minutes. The control tower officers at Pokhara lost contact with the aircraft 10{{nbsp}}minutes after takeoff;<ref name="BBC"/> the wreckage was found at Tirkhe Dhunga, Dana VDC of Myagdi district at 1:25{{nbsp}}pm by a police team deployed from [[Dana, Nepal|Dana]] Police Post.<ref name="HT"/> Tara Air reported that the weather at both origin and destination airports was favourable.<ref name="BBC"/> |
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'''Tara Air Flight 193''' was a scheduled [[domestic passenger flight]], serving the route from [[Pokhara Airport]] in [[Pokhara]], [[Nepal]], to [[Jomsom Airport]] in [[Jomsom]], Nepal. On 24 February 2016, 8 minutes after take-off, the aircraft, a [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]], Series 400, with registration 9N-AHH, went missing with 23 passengers on board.<ref name="TKP">{{cite web |title=Missing Tara Air plane with 23 onboard could have crashed in Myagdi's Rupse |url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-02-24/a-tara-air-plane-en-route-to-jomsom-from-pokhara-missing.html |accessdate=24 February 2016 |work=[[The Kathmandu Post]] |date=24 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="Hradecky">{{cite web |last=Hradecky |first=Simon |title=Accident: Tara DHC6 near Pokhara on Feb 24th 2016, aircraft missing enroute |url=http://avherald.com/h?article=49468c0e |accessdate=24 February 2016 |work=The Aviation Herald |date=24 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{cite web |title=Plane crash feared in Nepal as flight carrying 21 goes missing in mountains |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/24/plane-crash-nepal-missing-mountains-pokhara-jomsom |accessdate=24 February 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=24 February 2016}}</ref> |
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Nepal's [[Nepal Police|police]] and [[Nepal Army|army]] dispatched three helicopters to search for the missing plane. Hours later, the wreckage was found near [[Dana, Nepal|Dana]] village, [[Myagdi District|Myagdi district]], alongside several charred bodies; the search was hampered by bad weather. There were no survivors among the 23 people onboard the aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/missing-nepal-tara-air-passenger-plane-found-crashed-in-jungle-amid-fears-no-one-survived-34481080.html |title=Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle' amid fears no one survived |date=24 February 2016 |dead-url=no |archive-url=http://webcitation.org/query?date=2016-02-24&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.ie%2Fworld-news%2Fasia-pacific%2Fmissing-nepal-tara-air-passenger-plane-found-crashed-in-jungle-amid-fears-no-one-survived-34481080.html |archive-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> The crash was the 27th loss of a DHC-6 aircraft, the seventh deadliest plane crash in Nepal, and the fourth worst accident involving a DHC-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160224-0|title=ASN Aircraft accident Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 400 9N-AHH Dana, Myagdi district|author=Harro Ranter|date=24 February 2016|publisher=|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref> With 23 fatalities, this was Tara Air's worst plane crash, surpassing the [[2010 Okhaldhunga Twin Otter crash]] which killed 22 people. |
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[[File:List of crew of Tara aircraft 193.jpg|thumb|Crew member from left Captain Roshan manandhar 53 year old,Co-pilot Dikesh Namkul 30 year old and Air-hostess Rama Raut 25 year old.]] |
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During the flight, the co-pilot acted as the Pilot Flying and the captain as Pilot Monitoring. En route, the flight deviated to the left and climbed to {{convert|12000|ft|0}} to avoid clouds. Over the Ghorepani area, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) began to sound. The aircraft was flying through clouds with a little visibility between clouds. A descent to {{convert|10000|ft|0}} was initiated and at {{convert|10200|ft|0}} the GPWS sounded again, but the captain responded not to worry about it. The captain was accustomed to hearing GPWS warnings in normal flight, so it became a habit to disregard the warnings. About one minute before the accident the captain took over control and initiated a climb. The aircraft impacted a mountainside at {{convert|10700|ft|0}} and came to a rest at {{convert|10982|ft|0}} near Dana village, Myagdi district. Aviation Safety Network gives the probable cause as a loss of situational awareness when entering clouds while flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).<ref>[https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160224-0 Aviation Safety Network. 24 Feb 2016] Retrieved 15 August 2016</ref> |
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==Aircraft== |
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The [[DHC-6 Twin Otter]] was built in 2012 by [[Viking Air]] with manufacturer's serial number (MSN) 926. The aircraft was previously registered as C-GUVT.<ref name="Airframes">{{cite web |title=Aircraft Registration Database Lookup |url=http://www.airframes.org/reg/cguvt |publisher=Airframes.org |accessdate=24 February 2016}}</ref> In September 2015, it was delivered to [[Tara Air]] and re-registered 9N-AHH.<ref name="Airframes"/><ref>{{cite web |title=2016-02-24 Tara Air Twin Otter crashed in Myagdi District, Nepal |publisher=[[Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre|JACDEC]] |url=http://www.jacdec.de/2016/02/24/2016-02-24-tara-air-twin-otter-missing-in-myagdi-district-nepal/ |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ASN Aircraft accident Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 400 9N-AHH Dana, Myagdi district |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160224-0 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=24 February 2016 |first=Harro |last=Ranter}}</ref> |
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==Passengers== |
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Of the 20 passengers aboard, 18{{spnd}}including two children<ref name="HT">{{cite web |title=23 confirmed dead in Myagdi plane crash |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/23-confirmed-dead-in-myagdi-plane-crash/ |website=The Himalayan Times |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref>{{spnd}} were from Nepal, one was from Hong Kong, and another from Kuwait.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35647929 |title=Nepal small passenger plane wreckage found |date=24 February 2016 |accessdate=24 February 2016 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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!scope="col"| Country or region |
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!scope="col"| Passengers |
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!scope="col"| Crew |
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!scope="col"| Total |
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|- |
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|{{flag|Nepal}} |
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|18 |
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|3 |
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|21 |
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|- |
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|{{flag|Hong Kong}} |
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|1 |
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|0 |
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|1 |
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|- |
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|{{flag|Kuwait}} |
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|1 |
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|0 |
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|1 |
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|- |
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|'''Total''' |
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|'''20''' |
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|'''3''' |
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|'''23''' |
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|} |
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==Background== |
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Nepal is a [[landlocked country]] with small parts of the country situated in a low land elevation in the south and high mountains in the north, the perpetual [[snow line]] to some 90 peaks over 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) including Earth's highest 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) [[Mount Everest]] or ''Sagarmatha.'' Nepal is renowned due to its high mountainous area, particularly due to its highest mountain on earth which lies in the highest [[mountain range]], the [[Himalayas]]. Air travel is very important in Nepal because of the country's high elevation and limited road access to isolated cities and villages, increasingly since Nepal's infrastructure and economy were hit hard by [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake|an earthquake that killed 8,000 people in April 2015]] followed by [[May 2015 Nepal earthquake|a major aftershock in May 2015]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=Nepal plane crash: 23 bodies are recovered|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35656931|accessdate=26 February 2016|publisher=BBC}}</ref> |
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[[File:List of aircraft accidents in Nepal.bmp.jpg|thumb|339x339px|Aviation accidents in Nepal]] |
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Nepal has had several plane crashes in the last decade. In 2014, [[Nepal Airlines Flight 183]] crashed into mountains in bad weather, killing all 18 people aboard. On September 2012, [[Sita Air Flight 601]], carrying 19 people, also hit a mountain after colliding with a vulture, killing everyone aboard. On May 2012, [[Agni Air Flight CHT]], carrying 21 people and serving the same route as Flight 193, crashed while attempting a [[go-around]] at [[Jomsom Airport]]. 15 people were killed including Indian child actress [[Taruni Sachdev]].<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Weather blamed in Nepal plane crash; all 23 bodies found|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/25/asia/nepal-plane-crash/|publisher=CNN|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref> |
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Since 1949, the year the first aircraft landed in Nepal, there have been more than 70 crashes involving planes and helicopters, in which more than 700 people have been killed. The deadliest occurred in 28 September 1992 when an [[Airbus A300]] operated by [[Pakistan International Airlines]] [[PIA Flight 268|crashed]] into the side of the mountain, killing all 167 people onboard. Most accidents in Nepal have been attributed to bad weather, inexperienced pilots and inadequate maintenance. [[Controlled Flight Into Terrain|Controlled Flights Into Terrain]] were also not rare, because of Nepal's mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather. The [[European Union]] banned all Nepalese airlines from flying to its territory for safety reasons in 2013.<ref name="auto"/> |
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==Flight== |
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The aircraft took off from [[Pokhara]] at 7:50{{nbsp}}am local time. The normal flight duration of the route is 18{{nbsp}}minutes. It lost contact with the control tower at Pokhara 10{{nbsp}}minutes after takeoff,<ref name="BBC"/> and was found crashed at Tirkhe Dhunga, Dana VDC of Myagdi district at 1:25{{nbsp}}pm by a police team deployed from [[Dana, Nepal|Dana]] Police Post.<ref name="HT"/> Tara Air reported that the weather at both origin and destination airports was favourable.<ref name="BBC"/> Further investigation is ongoing. |
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==Recovery== |
==Recovery== |
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Helicopters |
Helicopters were used to search the route for hours, but rescue efforts were slowed down by poor weather conditions, including dense fog and heavy rain.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nepal plane crash: Tara Air plane goes down, 23 feared dead |date=24 February 2016 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/24/asia/nepal-missing-plane/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> The wreckage was found burning after impacting a mountainside, with charred bodies visible inside.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nepal plane crash: All 23 on board killed as Tara Air flight crashes into Himalayan mountain |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nepal-plane-crash-all-23-board-killed-tara-air-flight-crashes-into-himalayan-mountain-1545699 |website=International Business Times UK |date=24 February 2016 |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> Bishwa Raj Khadka, the district Chief of Police,<ref>{{cite web |title=Missing Tara Air plane found crashed in Myagdi (UPDATE) |url=http://setopati.net/society/12021/Missing-Tara-Air-plane-found-crashed-in-Myagdi/ |work=Setopati |access-date=24 February 2016 |archive-date=24 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224190135/http://setopati.net/society/12021/Missing-Tara-Air-plane-found-crashed-in-Myagdi/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> stated that personnel involved in the rescue operations had recovered 17 bodies from the crash site.<ref>{{cite web |title=All 23 onboard Tara Air dead, 17 bodies recovered |url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-02-24/all-23-onboard-tara-air-dead-17-bodies-recovered.html |work=The Kathmandu Post |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> Ukrainian traveler and TV presenter Dmytro Komarov, together with the team of the program "The Upside Down World" (''{{lang-uk|Світ Навиворіт}}'') also took part in the search operation. |
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==Investigation== |
==Investigation== |
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A |
A commission was formed to investigate the crash.<ref name="Hradecky"/> The wreckage was found spread about 200 meters ({{convert|200|m|disp=out|abbr=off}})<ref>{{cite web |title=Chances of finding Tara Air passengers alive slim: Nepal Army |url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-02-24/tara-air-missing-plane-found-crashed-in-myagdi.html |work=The Kathmandu Post |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> in Solighopte, [[Myagdi District]], [[Dhaulagiri Zone]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wreckage of plane carrying 23 people found in Nepal |work=The Guardian |date=24 February 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/24/plane-crashes-in-nepal-killing-all-23-on-board}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/missing-nepal-tara-air-passenger-plane-found-crashed-in-jungle-amid-fears-all-on-board-are-dead-a6892696.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/missing-nepal-tara-air-passenger-plane-found-crashed-in-jungle-amid-fears-all-on-board-are-dead-a6892696.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The Independent |date=24 February 2016 |access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref> |
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The final accident report, 17 months later, read: "The Commission concludes that the probable cause of this accident was the fact that despite unfavourable weather conditions, the crew's repeated decision to enter into cloud during [[Visual flight rules|VFR]] flight and their deviation from the normal track due to loss of situational awareness aggravated by spatial disorientation leading to [[Controlled flight into terrain|CFIT]] accident."<ref name="AAIC">{{cite report|url=https://www.tourism.gov.np//files/publication_files/Final%20for%20publication_Tara%20Air_pdf_1502009096.pdf|title=Final Report of 9N-AHH Aircraft Accident|publisher=Government of Nepal|access-date=14 August 2018}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Prinair Flight 277]] |
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{{Portal|Aviation|Nepal}} |
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*[[ |
*[[Tara Air Flight 197]] |
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*[[Agni Air Flight CHT]] |
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*[[Nepal Airlines Flight 555]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2016]] |
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[[Category:Tara Air accidents and incidents]] |
Latest revision as of 21:19, 7 June 2024
![]() A DHC-6 of Tara Air similar to the crashed aircraft | |
Accident | |
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Date | 24 February 2016 |
Summary | VFR into IMC, loss of situational awareness, controlled flight into terrain |
Site | Dana, Myagdi District, Nepal |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter |
Operator | Tara Air |
IATA flight No. | TB193 |
ICAO flight No. | TRA193 |
Call sign | Tara Air 193 |
Registration | 9N-AHH |
Flight origin | Pokhara Airport, Pokhara, Nepal |
Destination | Jomsom Airport, Jomsom, Nepal |
Occupants | 23 |
Passengers | 20 |
Crew | 3 |
Fatalities | 23 |
Survivors | 0 |
Tara Air Flight 193 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Pokhara to Jomsom, Nepal. On 24 February 2016, eight minutes after take-off, the aircraft serving the flight, a Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter went missing with 23 people on board.[1][2][3] Hours later, the wreckage was found near the village of Dana, Myagdi District. There were no survivors.[4] It was Tara Air's deadliest accident.[5]
Aircraft
The DHC-6 Twin Otter was a Series 400 version built in 2012 by Viking Air with manufacturer's serial number 926.[6] In September 2015, it was delivered to Tara Air and registered 9N-AHH.[7][6][8]
Passengers
Of the 20 passengers on board, 18 – including 2 children[9] – were from Nepal, one was from Hong Kong, and another was from Kuwait.[10]
Flight
The aircraft took off from Pokhara at 7:50 am local time. The normal flight duration on the route is 18 minutes. The control tower officers at Pokhara lost contact with the aircraft 10 minutes after takeoff;[10] the wreckage was found at Tirkhe Dhunga, Dana VDC of Myagdi district at 1:25 pm by a police team deployed from Dana Police Post.[9] Tara Air reported that the weather at both origin and destination airports was favourable.[10]
During the flight, the co-pilot acted as the Pilot Flying and the captain as Pilot Monitoring. En route, the flight deviated to the left and climbed to 12,000 feet (3,658 m) to avoid clouds. Over the Ghorepani area, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) began to sound. The aircraft was flying through clouds with a little visibility between clouds. A descent to 10,000 feet (3,048 m) was initiated and at 10,200 feet (3,109 m) the GPWS sounded again, but the captain responded not to worry about it. The captain was accustomed to hearing GPWS warnings in normal flight, so it became a habit to disregard the warnings. About one minute before the accident the captain took over control and initiated a climb. The aircraft impacted a mountainside at 10,700 feet (3,261 m) and came to a rest at 10,982 feet (3,347 m) near Dana village, Myagdi district. Aviation Safety Network gives the probable cause as a loss of situational awareness when entering clouds while flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).[11]
Recovery
Helicopters were used to search the route for hours, but rescue efforts were slowed down by poor weather conditions, including dense fog and heavy rain.[12] The wreckage was found burning after impacting a mountainside, with charred bodies visible inside.[13] Bishwa Raj Khadka, the district Chief of Police,[14] stated that personnel involved in the rescue operations had recovered 17 bodies from the crash site.[15] Ukrainian traveler and TV presenter Dmytro Komarov, together with the team of the program "The Upside Down World" (Ukrainian: Світ Навиворіт) also took part in the search operation.
Investigation
A commission was formed to investigate the crash.[2] The wreckage was found spread about 200 meters (660 feet)[16] in Solighopte, Myagdi District, Dhaulagiri Zone.[17][18]
The final accident report, 17 months later, read: "The Commission concludes that the probable cause of this accident was the fact that despite unfavourable weather conditions, the crew's repeated decision to enter into cloud during VFR flight and their deviation from the normal track due to loss of situational awareness aggravated by spatial disorientation leading to CFIT accident."[19]
See also
References
- ^ "Missing Tara Air plane with 23 onboard could have crashed in Myagdi's Rupse". The Kathmandu Post. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ a b Hradecky, Simon (24 February 2016). "Crash: Tara DHC6 near Pokhara on Feb 24th 2016, aircraft impacted terrain". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Plane crash feared in Nepal as flight carrying 21 goes missing in mountains". The Guardian. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle' amid fears no one survived". 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Tara Air". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Aircraft Registration Database Lookup". Airframes.org. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter 400 9N-AHH Dana, Myagdi district". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "2016-02-24 Tara Air Twin Otter crashed in Myagdi District, Nepal". JACDEC. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ a b "23 confirmed dead in Myagdi plane crash". The Himalayan Times. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ a b c "Nepal small passenger plane wreckage found". BBC News. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network. 24 Feb 2016 Retrieved 15 August 2016
- ^ "Nepal plane crash: Tara Air plane goes down, 23 feared dead". CNN. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Nepal plane crash: All 23 on board killed as Tara Air flight crashes into Himalayan mountain". International Business Times UK. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Missing Tara Air plane found crashed in Myagdi (UPDATE)". Setopati. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "All 23 onboard Tara Air dead, 17 bodies recovered". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Chances of finding Tara Air passengers alive slim: Nepal Army". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Wreckage of plane carrying 23 people found in Nepal". The Guardian. 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle'". The Independent. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ Final Report of 9N-AHH Aircraft Accident (PDF) (Report). Government of Nepal. Retrieved 14 August 2018.