Nepal Airlines Sagarmatha Tragedy: Likely to get grounded for a week in Delhi Airport
Kathmandu – 14 September 2016
On 12 September 2016, NAC Airbus A320 which bears a registration 9N-AKW, flight outbound from Delhi to Kathmandu, with 152 passengers and eight crew members onboard made an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, within half hour of take off after pilot noted – a wing flap malfunction – in the aircraft.
Fortunately all passengers and crew disembarked safely, however aircraft sustained a major damage in its flap which led aircraft probable go grounded for a week to replace the whole flap system by the new one.
According to the engineers of NAC who are presently inspecting the ill-fated aircraft at IGIA, Delhi, the emergency landing occurred as a result of tyre burst during takeoff.
Continued: tyre was burst shortly after takeoff as a consequence the outer bond of the wheel entered inside the flap that was extended to produce a lift during takeoff ending with a defunct flap movement, thereafter Captain Subarna Awale, who was the pilot in command called for an emergency landing.
The flag carrier, NAC seems like being followed by a harsh luck as on 13 September, a day after this narrow escape, the next A320 “Lumbini” 9N-AKX also suffered main landing gear tyre burst during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport while entering Taxiway from runway after touchdown.
Such tragedy ended up the cancellation of most Airbus-sector flights until further notice that apparently hits a huge lose in revenue, goodwill and to replace whole flap is like asking for a moon.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Airworthiness Directives
One after another tyre burst of NAC airbus witnessed by CAAN has circulated an Airworthiness Directives (AD) on Tuesday to all international carriers operating in Nepal not to go with tyres retreaded by the Michelin Aircraft Tire Company (MATC) up till further notice.
