What happened
During a ferry flight from Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport to Pokhara for scheduled C-check maintenance, the aircraft departed with a crew and technical staff on board. As the aircraft rotated at approximately 120 knots, it experienced a rapid pitch increase and a right roll of 26 degrees. During the initial climb, the aircraft's radio height reached 77 feet while the stick shaker activated alongside an unidentified GPWS audio alert.
Following this, the aircraft underwent a significant left roll of up to 55 degrees. During this phase, the stick shaker activated again, accompanied by a GPWS 'Pull Up' message and the activation of the stick pusher. The aircraft then experienced an extreme right roll, reaching nearly 95 degrees, while the pitch fluctuated between 19 degrees and 2 degrees.
As the aircraft progressed, the radio height decreased to 63 feet. The flight ended when the aircraft struck the terrain east of the runway, approximately 6,100 feet from the threshold of runway 02, near taxiway Juliet. The right wing was the first part of the aircraft to contact the ground, leaving an impact trail extending 1,000 feet toward the east. The accident resulted in 18 fatalities and one serious injury to the captain.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced uncontrolled rolling motions and significant pitch fluctuations during the takeoff phase.
- Multiple activations of the stick shaker and the stick pusher occurred, coinciding with GPWS audio warnings.