Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The investigation committee looking into the Saurya Airlines crash in Tribhuvan International Airport in July has said in its preliminary investigation report that non-compliance to aircraft weight requirements and ferry flight procedure, and inconsistent V-speed may have caused the accident.
“Inspection of the crash site, assessment of the aircraft and interviews with the ground personnel of Saurya Airlines revealed that the operator was not complying with the aircraft load weighing, loading and securing of load requirements stipulated in Chapter 7 of its Operations Manual,” the committee said in its preliminary report available on the tourism ministry’s website. According to the report, the V-speeds mentioned in the operation flight plan of the flight as well as recorded in the flight data recorder were inconsistent with the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH).
QRH refers to a book available to pilots in the cockpit that contains various procedures to deal with abnormal and emergency situations. Likewise, V-Speeds are used to define various significant or necessary airspeeds for the safe operation of aircraft.
The committee also said that the procedure followed to issue the flight permission for the ferry flight was not adequate. “The obtained records did not show completeness and compliance with the Procedure Manual for Flight Permission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN),” it said.
Eighteen people died when the CRJ 200 aircraft of Saurya Airlines on a ferry flight to Pokhara International Airport for a C-check crashed right after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on July 24.
The committee has also recommended that all airline operators immediately review their speedcards and runway take-off weight (RTOW) charts. Similarly, airline operators have been told to comply with the requirements of cargo and baggage handling. “Baggage and cargo weighing, its distribution and latching should be ensured as stipulated in the operation manual and ground handling manual,” it added.
It has also told the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to review and update the procedure and requirements for the permission of non-scheduled flights including all non-revenue and ferry flights.
Deepu Raj Jwarchan, Sanjay Adhikari and Dr Sudip Bhattarai are the members of the five-member investigation committee led by Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, while Mukesh Dangol is the member secretary.
