Video shows out of control Nepal plane slamming into ground, ball of fire

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Kathmandu, July 24, 2024: A frightening new video has emerged of the Bombardier CRJ 200 jet that crashed at the Nepal’s Kathmandu airport at 11.15 am (local time). The video captures the final few seconds of the crash.

The clip begins shortly after take-off, with the plane already out-of-control and just a few hundred feet off the ground. Seconds later the plane - a Saurya Airlines service to the tourist hub of Pokhara - which was tilting to the right, jerks to its left and plunges to the ground, exploding in a ball of fire.

There were 19 people - two crew members and 17 staff - of whom 18 have died, authorities said.

The lone survivor is the pilot, who has been rushed to a local hospital, a security official at the airport told news agency PTI.

The lone survivor is the pilot, who has been rushed to a local hospital, a security official at the airport told news agency PTI.

Earlier today an equally shocking video showed the moment the plane hit the ground.

The 18-second video, from a CCTV camera at the airport, showed the plane slamming into the runway, skidding along the ground, and bursting into flames.

🔴#BREAKING | Video Shows Exact Moment Plane Crashed At Kathmandu Airport #NepalPlaneCrash #Kathmandu #Nepal pic.twitter.com/saj1eUNN9m

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 24, 2024

Nepal’s aviation sector has boomed recently but the expansion has been marred by poor safety standards, inadequate training, and maintenance issues. As a result, the European Union has banned Nepali carriers from entering its airspace. The Himalayan country’s challenging topography - which sees high-altitude runways surrounded by mountainous terrain - challenge even the most experienced pilots.

The weather in these regions is also notoriously unpredictable, further complicating aviation safety.

The country’s last major commercial flight disaster occurred in January last year, when a Yeti Airlines plane crashed while landing in Pokhara, resulting in the deaths of all 72 people on board. That incident was the deadliest since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed on approach to Kathmandu, killing all 167 passengers and crew. The same year, a Thai Airways flight also crashed near Kathmandu, killing 113.