Fatal Yeti Airlines Accident at Jumla Airport (9N-AEQ)

Incident Overview and Flight Details A twin-engine aircraft departed Nepalganj Airport on a domestic service bound for Jumla, with an intermediate stop at Surkhet. The aircraft carried six passengers, three crew members, and cargo consisting of bags containing grains, with a total load of 941 kilograms. ## Approach and Accident Sequence While approaching Jumla Airport, the crew was informed that runway 27 was in use, with wind from 240 degrees at 4 knots. For unknown reasons, the captain initiated an approach to runway 09 at 1201 local time. At an excessive speed, the aircraft missed the runway, and the captain initiated a go-around procedure, passing to the right of the tower. The aircraft then entered a steep left turn, lost height and speed, and crashed into a field located 500 meters east of the airport, bursting into flames. ## Casualties and Damage The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. All nine occupants on board were killed. ## Official Findings The probable cause was the crew's attempt to make a sudden go-around while close to the runway 09 threshold at a very low circuit altitude, followed by an attempt to turn in a tight circuit with excessive angle of bank that led to a stall. The aircraft subsequently contacted terrain due to insufficient clearance available for effective stall recovery. The quick decisions to change runway added to crew workload at a critical period, which was aggravated by the breakdown of cockpit discipline. ## Contributory Factors The official investigation identified the following contributory factors: violation of company standard operating procedures by the flight crew, insufficient monitoring of its flight training program and line operations by Yeti management, and inadequate oversight of Yeti Airlines by CAAN.