Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Crashed Yeti Airlines aircraft was previously owned by now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines

According to Cirium Fleets data, which tracks aircraft fleet, equipment and its cost, the 9N-ANC aircraft was delivered to the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2007.

Crashed Yeti Airlines aircraft was previously owned by now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines

The Nepalese passenger plane, which crashed into a river gorge on Sunday with 72 people onboard, was previously used by the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, according to Cirium Fleets data.

Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am on Sunday and crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport in Pokhara, minutes before landing, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.


At least 68 people, including five Indians, were feared dead, officials said, in Nepal's worst aviation tragedies in over three decades.

According to Cirium Fleets data, which tracks aircraft fleet, equipment and its cost, the 9N-ANC aircraft was delivered to the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2007.

Six years later, it was bought by Thailand's Nok Air, before it was sold to Nepal's Yeti Airlines in 2019, it said.

Cirium Fleets data noted that the aircraft was managed by lessor Investec Bank, and owned by KF Turbo Leasing.

The ill-fated Yeti Airlines' aircraft was also an ATR-72 aircraft.

It was the first instance that such a model met with an accident in Nepal's chequered aviation history.

The ATR-72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR, which is a joint venture between French aerospace company Aerospatiale and Italian aviation conglomerate Aeritalia.

The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 passengers.

Currently, only Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines employ ATR-72 aircraft in Nepal.

Mishandling, malfunctioning of aircraft system or pilot fatigue could be among the factors that caused the deadly plane crash in Nepal that killed at least 68 people on Sunday, according to pilots and an aircraft accident investigation expert.

They said the exact reasons that led to the accident will be known only after a detailed investigation.

Going by the video clips on social media purportedly showing the plane's trajectory seconds before it crashed, it was a clear sky and the weather was not bad.

An aircraft accident investigator told PTI that going by one of the video clips, the nose of the aircraft slightly went up and the wings drooped to the left side before the crash happened, and there could have been a stall.

Meanwhile, the black boxes of the Yeti Airlines aircraft were recovered from the accident site on Monday, officials said.

(PTI)

More For You

The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)
The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump meets Prince William at Notre Dame reopening

US president-elect Donald Trump met Prince William on Saturday during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The event marked the restoration of the historic landmark following a major fire in 2019.

Keep ReadingShow less
Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service
Kate attends the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey in London on December 6, 2024. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service

PRINCESS OF WALES, Kate Middleton, hosted a Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on Friday (6) that reflected on "the most difficult times" as she returns to public life after her cancer diagnosis.

The London carol service intended to "reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives", according to Kensington Palace office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report
Banaras Hussain

Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report

A MAN convicted of violent sexual offences in Rotherham is set to be released from prison on licence after serving nine years of a 19-year sentence.

The crimes of Banaras Hussain, 44, included rape, indecent assault, and actual bodily harm, were part of a prolonged pattern of abuse targeting vulnerable victims, some as young as 11.

Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

TWELVE members of an organised crime group from Birmingham, Walsall, and Yorkshire have been found guilty of defrauding over £2.5 million in Covid support grants through fraudulent claims.

The crime group exploited non-trading businesses and stolen identities to submit multiple Covid support claims, including Bounce Back Loans, HMRC payments, and various grants set up to assist struggling businesses and individuals during the pandemic.

Keep ReadingShow less
Migrant workers key to meet housing target, warn builders
Construction workers work on building residential houses and homes at a Homes by Strata building site, in Leeds, northern England on September 4, 2024. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Migrant workers key to meet housing target, warn builders

THE UK must urgently address a construction skills shortage, including by increasing migrant worker numbers, to achieve prime minister's target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliamentary term, industry leaders have warned.

The National Federation of Builders, which represents small and medium-sized contractors, highlighted the scale of the challenge, pointing to an ageing workforce and declining numbers of apprentices, the Telegraph reported.

Keep ReadingShow less