Year after year of public reporting of the solar ship accident, many have been shocked at once. Solar Airlines CRJ-200 aircraft flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed in Tribhuvan International Airport premises, killing 18 people on the spot.

Captain Manishratna Shakya was rescued alive in the accident. The main cause of the accident was not the technical problem but the pilot's error, Kantipur has published a news report on Saturday citing parts of the report, which has exposed the weak side of Nepal's air safety.  According to

news, the report of the accident investigation commission found that the pilot raised the nose of the aircraft excessively during take-off, causing the "pitch rate" to increase and the speed to decrease, resulting in a "deep stall". While the CRJ aircraft required a 'pitch rate' of 3 degrees per second for takeoff, the crash aircraft was found to have a pitch rate of 5.5 degrees per second, which is excessive. This clearly shows that the pilot was flying the aircraft at a 'pitch rate' exceeding the prescribed standard. What is more worrying is that even when the commission analyzed the old flights of other 200 aircraft of Solar Airlines, it was found that the pilots during the flight raise the speed of the aircraft during the flight, the 'rotation rate' is usually more than 3 degrees per second. 

This accident has raised serious questions about the safety of Nepal's airspace. Mainly the pilot's personal error and unsafe flying practices can be blamed for this accident. However, behind this, it is clear that there is a weakness in the non-commercial permit process and inspection of the regulatory body, especially the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority. Reports of misuse of 'speed card' and its never being corrected indicate a weak monitoring system of the authority. Lack of proper pilot training and regulation increases the risk of such incidents happening again. 

This accident is not only the result of a single pilot's error but is indicative of the weakness of the overall air safety system. The Government of Nepal should take immediate necessary steps to enforce aviation regulations and laws, provide proper education and training to pilots and technicians, and make regulatory bodies more responsible. It is necessary for all concerned parties to be serious in order to make Nepal's airspace safe and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.