Preparations are underway to lift the aircraft using a crane and move it to a safe location across the bay.
What you should know
A 50-ton crane has been used to remove a Buddha Air ATR-72 aircraft that skidded off the runway at Bhadrapur Airport. After attempts to remove the aircraft using small cranes failed on Saturday, a large 50-ton crane is being brought in from Biratnagar on Sunday to lift the aircraft.
According to rescue workers, preparations are underway to lift the plane using a crane and move it to a safe place across the gulf.
According to Bhadrapur Airport Chief Kishore Kumar Khatri, although the total length of the eastern runway is 1,500 meters, flights are currently being operated only by reducing it by about 100 meters from point number 28.
'During takeoff, the plane reaches the final point, but during landing, we have allowed it to land 100 meters short,' he said.
The crashed plane had crashed into the gulf about 150 meters before the final point of the runway. To minimize the risk, all 72 seats inside the plane have been removed and placed in a field, and about 1,200 kg of fuel has been safely dumped.
Buddha Air had sent a rescue team with 18 technicians from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur on Saturday in another ATR plane. A team including Acting Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Devchandra Lal Karna has also reached the scene and made an initial observation.
The plane, which had landed on its Kathmandu-Bhadrapur flight at 9:06 pm on Friday, skidded off the runway and crossed the chaur and reached the gulf. In technical terms, this is called a 'runway excursion', which is one of the major risks identified in Nepal's aviation safety.
The Yeti Airlines ATR plane with 18 passengers was grounded in Bhadrapur due to the runway obstruction. The passengers were affected as the airport was completely closed for some time.
The captain of the flight, Shailesh Limbu, and co-pilot Susanta Shrestha have been grounded as per the rules. According to Buddha Air, the health check-up of both has been completed and the upcoming investigation committee will take statements.
According to Bikram Raj Gautam, acting head of the Aviation Safety and Security Regulation Directorate of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the investigation into the incident will be conducted by both the authority and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
'The first priority was rescue and airport operations, now the investigation will find out the cause and weaknesses,' he said.
