Yeti Airlines ATR crash in Nepal
On 15 January 2023, Yeti Airlines flight YT691 (operated by ATR72 9N-ANC, 754) crashed while on final approach to runway 12 at Pokhara International Airport, Nepal. It had left Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport earlier in the day.
On final approach to Pokhara Airport in excellent weather conditions, the airplane entered a pitch up attitude, rolled to the left up to 90° (the left wing apparently stalled) and crashed on the bank of Seti River, between the old airport and the new airport, and burst into flames.
Local media report that the aircraft was initially preparing for an approach to runway 30, but the pilot later requested an approach to runway 12.
According to the published Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) procedure, an aircraft has to intercept the Initial Approach Fix (IAF), the POK VOR located at the old airport, at a heading of 087° and then turn right for runway 12. Distance from the IAF to the runway threshold is 2,4 kilometres.
The Pokhara International Airport was opened on 1 January 2023 and is located to the east-southeast of the old Pokhara Airport.
All previous flights of YT691 at the new Pokhara International Airport landed on runway 30. At least one other ATR72 from Kathmandu made an approach to land on runway 12 (flight YT677 on 12 January), which flew to the north of the airport before turning left on base and final for runway 12 in the vicinity of POK VOR.
Nepal's CAA (CAAN) reported the aircraft carried 64 passengers and four crew members, sadly all of whom did not survive the impact.
On 16 January, the NRCC (Nepal Rescue Coordination Center) reported the flight data recorder has been recovered from the crash site and been forwarded to the Nepalese army, which is going to hand the black box over to the investigation team.
Photo credits: Flightradar24 and Aviation Herald