26-year-old First Officer (Co-Pilot) Sushant Katuwal was one of the 18 people who lost their lives in the tragic accident of Sourya Airlines. In the recent report published by the Accident Investigation Commission after a year, it has exposed not only lax technical monitoring in Nepal's civil aviation sector, but also economic disorder.

Sushant, a co-pilot of Sourya Airlines, was flying under the weight of financial hardship, struggling with debt incurred during his studies and training. The report has revealed that Sushant is in a tense mood, receiving 'salary' only based on the hours of the day he flew the ship and not on a regular salary. 

Sushant was the only child of a family living with his mother and father in a dera in Bhaktapur from Okhaldhunga. He got his pilot's license from South Africa's Grand Central Airport in 2076. 

His father taught his son to be a pilot with an investment of around one crore rupees, which was borrowed from elsewhere with the money received from his retirement from the education service. Sushant returned to Nepal before the Covid-19 after taking training to fly a ship from Africa at the expense of his father's fortune. 

In Baisakh 2078, he got the opportunity to fly the CRJ-200 aircraft. Solar Airlines was his first employer. But before stepping into the role of co-pilot in the cockpit of a solar ship, he suffered his first setback in the mandatory 'simulator training' (practicing the aircraft he wanted to fly). That was the failure of CRJ ship simulator training.

The training of the type of ship to be flown must also be done by the trainee at his own expense. After selecting the fresh pilots in Nepal, the airline companies send them abroad for such 'type-rating' training at an additional cost of 20-30 lakh rupees. 

Sushant went to Germany for a few weeks to take CRJ's type-rating training. But after failing in the first training, he had to stay in Germany for another three months to take another training. If he returned without training, there was a risk of losing his job. Facing financial shortage, he decided to complete his training by taking a loan. The stay was extended for three months. The cost of training was increasing. Food and lodging to be provided by oneself. Additional cost of training on your own shoulders. Therefore, it is mentioned in the report of the commission that he took a loan and trained abroad. 

"He has been earning a living by working in a restaurant after the loan failed," Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, the coordinator of the investigation commission, quoted Sushant's father as saying, "He spent three months in Germany on tea and bread and returned to Nepal after completing his training only in the second attempt." Job of a new pilot in Sourya. But after covid, he got evicted. There are only three ships but sometimes only one and sometimes two are flyable. There were not many

regular daily flights either. Later he returned to Surya for a while. But not on a monthly salary, but on the basis of hourly wages. This matter has been disclosed in the report. 

On the other hand, he went to a company in Germany for 'type rating' training. As it was a contracted company with Sourya, it was a condition that the cost of the training there would be deducted in installments from the amount received by the co-pilot Sushant. According to this condition, the commission official says that the amount he will receive is very little. 

Sushant was a trusted aide of captains. He looked confident in the cockpit. Colleagues admired him. But the burden of debt was extensive within his desire to fly with the speed of the wind. Which he didn't tell his family. Not friends. Before the accident, he had 1,824 hours of flying experience including training. His dream was to fly more and more to pay off his debt and become a captain. However, his aspirations were dashed on the 'return' flight to Pokhara on 9 July last year. His dream of becoming a captain after paying the loan was dashed at the Kathmandu airport premises.

Not being able to pass the 'simulator' test in the first attempt is a big shock for any pilot. The same thing happened to him. In addition, airlines deduct the administrative and procedural costs of training and other administrative and procedural costs on their behalf and provide a bond against layoffs. Sushant was also attached to this bond. 

Accident Investigation Commission officials interviewed the parents of the co-pilot and his colleagues for the investigation. "The findings show that the employees of Sourya Airlines were working under stressful conditions and were always under mental stress about the salary," the report said.

Chief pilot Captain Manishratna Shakya also saw it that day. But he also did not respond. This indicates that there is a major weakness in the corporate safety culture of Solar Airlines. In the course of taking a statement after the accident, the marketing manager of Sourya Airlines has admitted in a written reply that there was a mistake in the preparation of this flight. Suman says that although financial shortage is not the root cause of

accidents, the mental stress caused by it helps to bring weakness in safety management and affect decisions. "Aviation engineering says that when a person is in financial trouble or in debt, he is stressed, a person under stress should not be given the responsibility of doing sensitive work," says Suman, who is also an aeronautical engineer.

"Financial lack is not the main cause of accidents, but it has played a role that can indirectly affect the incident by increasing the mental pressure on pilots and employees," says Suman, the coordinator of the Accident Investigation Commission, "Now ICAO, which regulates the civil aviation sector around the world, is taking the human factor (human aspect) seriously, because human error is seen as a major cause in most air accidents." 

Since the last twin-otter accident of Tara Air that took place from Pokhara to Jomsom while returning from a mountain flight, it has been mentioned in the accident investigation report that human factors have been added as a contributing factor to the accident of Buddha Air's 'Beach Craft' plane in Kotdanda, Lalitpur. 

According to Suman, ICAO has seriously addressed the humanitarian aspect in its two 'annexes' (documents) after the small mistakes of the pilots, control staff, mechanics, and other ground staff involved in the flight caused major risks. Compliance with those 'Annex' should be made mandatory by airlines. The regulatory body should see whether it is being followed. 

Another officer in the Solar Accident Investigation Commission says that there is a direct relationship between the humanitarian aspect and the safety culture in the past airplane accidents in Nepal. "Not only the air service, if the employees of any organization are under stress due to various pressures, financial problems, debt or fatigue, then these issues will become the link of invisible weakness and become the cause of accidents," says the official who is also a trainer pilot. 

According to the Airline Operators Association, junior pilots (trainee co-pilots, co-pilots and senior co-pilots) on remote flights in Nepal receive a minimum salary of Rs 35,000 to a maximum of Rs 125,000 for regular flights. A captain earns a minimum of Rs 1.5 lakh to a minimum of Rs 5 lakh. Due to the reduction in flights after the Covid-19, the wages of air hostesses to captains have decreased due to the decrease in the income of the airlines. But now an official of the association says that it has almost returned to the pre-Covid rhythm.  According to

president Manoj Karki, cabin crew (stewardesses) in remote flights earn a minimum of 25,000 to a maximum of 75,000 rupees depending on the number of flights. But in the case of ATR, Bombardier, which flies on smooth routes, this number is slightly higher. 

A senior employee of Buddha Air says that air hostesses in their airlines earn a minimum of 40,000 to a maximum of 1.5 lakh rupees per month. He says, "Co-pilots in Buddha get a minimum of 70,000 to 120,000 rupees and the captain gets up to 3.5 lakh rupees."

The association says that because Buddha flies more, their crews get paid the most. According to the union, when flights are curtailed due to Covid, airlines will have to pay staff and 

had cut wages. Now, after China opened the Mansarovar Yatra to Indian pilgrims, the income of the airline companies flying remote flights is improving. 

However, two domestic flight companies and two helicopter companies have complained to the Civil Aviation Authority about non-payment of salaries, delays, etc. The flight inspector has said that the two airlines which are flying ATR and CRJ/Bombardier Dash on the smooth route have been placed under surveillance after the complaint of non-regular salary reached the authority. 

If there is an accident today and the pilot's fault is seen, why did that fault happen? There is a study on whether or not there is a regular salary, what is the working environment like,'' says Gyanendra Bhul, co-spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority. Which covers the relationship between people, machines, rules, organization and working environment.' 

According to him, now the authority has adopted a 'VRS' (Volunteer Reporting System) system that can provide confidential information if the airline company does not pay regular wages. "Complaints were received about two airlines and two helicopter companies not paying regular wages," says co-spokesperson Bhul, "now this matter has become an issue for our safety monitoring." Our inspectors also monitor this issue when they visit airlines for audits. Confidential reporting has not been forthcoming from some companies. The authority has also received notices of airlines that pay less salary, show the salary in the paper and do not send it to the account, we are investigating. It is our effort to ensure that this issue does not become the cause of any accident.'