According to the Buddha Air Pokhara office, initial investigations have shown that the bird that collided with the aircraft was a vulture.
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Buddha Air's Kathmandu-Pokhara flight (flight number 617) collided with a bird while landing at Pokhara Airport on Saturday.
According to the Buddha Air Pokhara office, initial investigations have shown that the bird that collided with the aircraft was a vulture. The ATR-72 aircraft with the callsign Alpha-Oscar-Charlie was landing on the eastern side of the runway from Runway 12 when the vulture hit the aircraft, damaging one of the aircraft's right engine propellers.
There were 68 passengers on board the aircraft and all passengers and crew are safe, Buddha Air said.
The aircraft was scheduled to return to Kathmandu with 72 passengers, but will be able to fly again only after damage assessment and repairs.
According to Pokhara Airport General Manager Jagannath Niraula, a Buddha Air ATR aircraft that took off from Pokhara to Kathmandu a month ago had returned to the runway after colliding with the vulture.
Pokhara Airport is among the airports in Nepal with the highest bird activity.
