On November 21, 2011, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (registration 9N-AJM) operated by Makalu Air was involved in an aviation accident near Talcha, Nepal during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Strong downdrafts during the final approach caused the aircraft to become unstable and veer off the runway upon landing. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A single-engine aircraft veered off the runway and struck a residential building during landing at Talcha Airport, resulting in no injuries.
What happened
During the landing phase at Talcha Airport, a single-engine aircraft was operating on runway 36 when it lost directional control. After touching down, the plane drifted off the prepared surface and traveled down an embankment. The sequence of events concluded when the aircraft came to a stop against a nearby house located at the end of the runway.
Despite the impact with the structure, all 12 occupants on board were able to evacuate the wreckage without sustaining any injuries. The aircraft itself sustained significant damage during the excursion and was declared a total loss.
Findings
Reports from the scene indicated that the aircraft exhibited instability while approaching the runway. It was noted that downdrafts were present during the final approach, which likely contributed to the loss of control upon touchdown.
Probable cause
Strong downdrafts during the final approach caused the aircraft to become unstable and veer off the runway upon landing.