What happened
On 15 January 2023, an ATR 72-212A was conducting a scheduled flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara International Airport. The flight crew, which included an instructor pilot and a captain undergoing aerodrome familiarization for the destination, had previously completed two other sectors earlier that morning. Although air traffic control initially assigned runway 30 for landing, the crew requested and received permission to land on runway 1s.
During the visual approach to runway 12, the aircraft descended through 6,500 feet. While the crew was configuring the aircraft for landing, both propellers simultaneously entered a feathered condition, causing engine torque to drop to zero and significantly reducing thrust. Despite the crew attempting to advance the power levers to maximum power, the engines failed to provide necessary propulsion. As the aircraft continued its descent, it entered a steep left bank. At 311 feet above ground level, the stick shaker activated, indicating an impending stall. The aircraft struck the terrain at approximately 10:57:32, resulting in the total destruction of the airframe and 72 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical contributing factors:
- The primary cause was the accidental movement of both condition levers into the feathered position during flight, which led to a loss of thrust and an aerodynamic stall.
- High workload and stress, exacerbated by the pilot's unfamiliarity with the airport terrain, caused the crew to miss vital engine and flight deck indications.
- The use of an unvalidated visual approach circuit for runway 12 required a tight maneuvering pattern that did not meet stabilized approach criteria.
- Deficiencies in crew resource management (CRM), including a lack of sterile cockpit discipline and failure to follow standard operating procedures, were noted.
- A lack of specific simulator training or detailed briefings regarding the unique challenges of the Pokhara approach contributed to the error.