Jakarta, IO – The black box from the ATR-72 aircraft, operated by Yeti Airlines, has been found. Meanwhile, Nepalese authorities are still trying to find the four passengers from the country’s deadliest plane crash in 30 years.
Sky News reported on Monday (16/1) Teknath Sitaula, spokesperson for the Tribhuvan International Airport, said that the black box was found in good condition, not far from where the plane crashed. The flight data and cockpit voice recorder will be investigated to reveal the cause of the crash that killed 72 people.
“The black box is in good condition,” said Sitaula.
This twin-engine aircraft flies for 27 minutes from the international airport in the capital Kathmandu to Pokahara. However, a few minutes before landing, the plane carrying 15 foreign nationals and four crew members crashed near the Seti River. The foreign nationals included five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France.
A witness who recorded footage of the plane crashing from the balcony of his house said he saw the plane flying low before suddenly banked steeply to the left. “I was shocked. After it fell, it erupted in flame and the ground shook violently, like an earthquake,” Diwas Bohora recounted, as reported by AP.
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A video has circulated on social media showing the plane’s final moments before it crashed. According to Amit Singh, an experienced pilot and founder of the Aviation Safety Foundation of India, the video appears to show a situation where the aircraft loses lift, especially when flying at low speed. (bp)