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KATHMANDU — All 16 people on board a Sita Air flight are safe after the aircraft suffered a significant landing gear failure upon touchdown at Juphal Airport in Dolpa on Thursday morning.
The Dornier aircraft, carrying 7 foreign nationals, 6 Nepali passengers, and 3 crew members, had taken off from Nepalgunj before encountering the mishap at around 8:25 AM.
Quick Pilot Action Prevents Disaster
According to local police officials, the aircraft (registration 9N-AJH) was on its landing roll when its rear right tyre detached entirely from the axle. The sudden detachment caused the landing gear to buckle under the weight of the aircraft.
Disaster was averted due to the swift response of the cockpit crew, led by Captain Ajay Pradhan and Captain Ajay Kunwar. The pilots managed to shut down the aircraft's engines immediately after the mechanical failure, preventing the plane from veering off the runway or catching fire. No injuries have been reported among the passengers or crew.
Remote Airport Shutdown
The incident has completely paralyzed air transit in the remote mountainous region. Because Juphal Airport operates on a single narrow runway, the stranded Sita Air plane has blocked all incoming and outgoing traffic.
Airport authorities confirmed that a Nepali Army transport aircraft en route to Dolpa was forced to abort its landing and return to its base due to the runway obstruction.
Recovery Underway
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) along with local security personnel are working on an emergency recovery plan. Due to Dolpa's remote location, a technical team equipped with spare parts and heavy jacking equipment is being flown in via helicopter to repair the aircraft sufficiently so it can be towed off the active strip.
An official investigation into the cause of the tire detachment is expected to begin shortly.
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