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 pilot undergoing aerodrome familiarization, had already completed two other flight sectors earlier that day. Although air traffic control initially assigned runway 30 for landing, the crew requested and received permission to land on runway 12 instead.
During the visual approach to runway 12, the aircraft descended through 6,500 feet. While the crew was performing landing preparations, the propellers on both engines simultaneously entered a feathered condition, causing engine torque to drop to zero and thrust to cease. Although the crew attempted to execute the before-landing checklist, they did not notice that the flaps had not reached the requested position.
As the aircraft continued its descent and began a left turn, the crew attempted to increase power to compensate for the loss of thrust. However, the engines failed to provide necessary power. The aircraft's bank angle increased significantly, and the stick shaker activated, warning the crew of a critical increase in the angle of attack. The aircraft struck the ground at approximately 10:57:32, resulting in the total destruction of the aircraft and 72 fatalities.
Findings
- The propellers on both engines transitioned into a feathered state during the approach, which eliminated thrust.
- The flight crew failed to identify that the flaps had not reached the required position during the checklist process.
- The loss of engine power prevented the crew from maintaining a safe flight path during the final turn.