Accident Overview
On a cargo flight from Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport to Sharjah with an intermediate stop in New Delhi, the aircraft departed runway 20 carrying five crew members and a load of 21 tons of woolen carpets. After takeoff, the crew continued to climb but did not realize their altitude was insufficient. The aircraft struck the slope of Mount Champadevi, located 11 km southwest of the airport, and disintegrated on impact. All five crew members were killed.
Flight Details
The flight was a cargo operation scheduled from Kathmandu to Sharjah via New Delhi. The aircraft was loaded with 21 tons of woolen carpets. The takeoff was conducted from runway 20.
Accident Site
The collision occurred with the slope of Mount Champadevi, approximately 11 km southwest of Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport. The aircraft disintegrated upon impact.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation identified that the crew did not adhere to the published Standard Instrument Departure (SID) procedure for runway 20 at Kathmandu, Nepal. Several contributing factors were noted: an incomplete departure briefing given by the pilot-in-command while other cockpit activities were in progress; an unexpected airspeed decay to V2-3 during the initial right climbing turn south of the VOR while the co-pilot was busy with ATC; an improper power and climb profile used by the pilot-in-command after rolling the aircraft out on a southwest heading following the initial airspeed loss; inadequate intra-cockpit crew coordination and communication as the aircraft proceeded to and across the KTM VOR 4 DME arc before recommencing a shallow right turn; and incorrect and slow response to the initial and subsequent GPWS activations prior to the collision with terrain.