What is under our control is to take all reasonable precautions to make air travel as safe as possible improving the country’s air safety records

Yet another air crash has occurred, killing all of the 23 precious lives aboard – 21 of them being Nepalis including three crew members, one Chinese and one Kuwaiti -- thus further raising questions of air safety in Nepal. The small Twin Otter plane was on its way from Pokhara to Jomsom of Mustang district on Wednesday morning when it lost contact ten minutes after taking off from Pokhara Airport. Hours later, the wreckage was found scattered at Tirkhe Dhunga of Dana VDC in Myagdi district. All of the bodies have been recovered after hours of search operations at the crash site at rugged terrain. The aircraft, which belonged to Tara Air, the airline that operates its flights mainly in the remote mountainous region, had been brought to Nepal from Canada just five months ago and a senior pilot was in the cockpit. The plane used modern technology and had various safety features to be better able to fly over high mountains. The present crash has happened in two years marking the 22nd air crash since 2000, 14 of them resulting in deaths.

In the case of the present plane crash, some airline officials have said that the Dana VDC and the adjoining areas were enveloped in a cloud of dust on Tuesday morning due to dry landslide. After every plane accident, an investigation committee is formed, as a five-member committee has been formed to look into this particular crash, and its report will be prepared and submitted within three months. This kind of ritual has always happened. But what is the most important thing is whether the findings and conclusions of the reports of such probe panels have been carefully studied and their recommendations put into practice. On this point, the Nepalis do not have much room for satisfaction. On the one hand, the international civil aviation authority, ICAO, has found Nepal’s air safety standards and air-worthiness poor and has also taken some punitive action; as air-crashes have happened in Nepal with increasing frequency over the last few years.

On the face of it, the condition of the ill-fated aircraft was fine, and it was being piloted by an experienced team of crew members. Indeed, flying a plane over the high mountains of Nepal is a difficult thing, with its unfavourable climatic conditions, sudden swings in weather and difficult terrain. This combination of challenges makes it all the more important that extra care should be taken by all concerned – crew members, air traffic controllers and aviation authorities – in order to minimize such accidents. So far not much has been done in this respect. In the past a number of avoidable factors had been reported to lead to air tragedies, such as overloading of the plane, daredevilry, rash decisions to fly, and not paying enough attention to weather conditions, or the fault of air traffic controllers. Everybody knows that air travel, like travel by any other modern mode of transport, is not one hundred percent safe. But what is under our control is to take all reasonable precautions to make air travel as safe as possible, taking the country’s air safety records closest to the safest aviation records elsewhere in the world. To make this happen, all concerned should do their duty with all sincerity and without any compromise.

What is cooking?

Even during normal times there is scarcity of cooking gas in the market and some LPG bottling plants have made the most of the opportunity to cheat when there was an unofficial blockade in the southern border points. Now it has come to light that a plant has compromised the security of their clients by supplying date-expired LPG cylinders in the market. There would even be human casualties should the cylinders explode. The plant was sealed after complaints from the customers by a high level government team which made a surprise visit to the industry. There were 806 date-expired LPG cylinders with a new coat of paint in this gas industry.

Moreover, what is a matter of immense concern is that the LPG gas cylinders were being sold without conducting the compulsory hydraulic tests. Incidentally, this bottling plant in Dhading was selling the gas under inflated prices. These cylinders are not suitable for use. Meanwhile, another plant also in Dhading district was found to be not conducting the necessary leakage tests and also filling less gas and tampering with the foot ring. These illegal practices are only a tip of the ice berg.