Plane Crash At Kathmandu Airport: 18 Dead, Pilot Survives

Incident: A plane with 19 crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport, catching fire after skidding off the runway

Casualties: 18 dead; the pilot survived and is in the hospital

Aircraft: The CRJ200, designed for 50, failed to climb, slid off the runway, and fell down an embankment

Airport: Tribhuvan International is a high-risk, tabletop airport on a plateau

Response: Firefighters and the Nepal army are at the scene; cause of the fire is unknown

Safety Record: Nepal’s aviation industry has poor safety due to inadequate training and maintenance. The 2023 Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara killed 72

Historical Context: This is Nepal’s worst crash since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed near Kathmandu, killing 167