Army sources said that since the accident site is located in a deep gorge of Seti river, it was very difficult for the search operation. The aircraft, led by instructor pilot Captain Kamal KC, made first contact with the Pokhara control tower from a distance of about 110 km.
The Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted Pokhara International Airport spokesperson Anoop Joshi as saying, “The weather was clear. We have been allocated runway 30 which is the eastern end. everything was OK.”
He said that no problem has been reported. The Flight Captain subsequently sought permission to switch to Runway 12 which is the western end.
Joshi, who is also a senior air traffic controller, said, “We were not sure why. The permission was granted, and accordingly, the aircraft commenced its descent.”
“At 10:32 am, the plane took off from Kathmandu. It was to land at Pokhara at 10:58. Pokhara was in constant contact with the tower. The landing clearance of that aircraft was also obtained. The weather was great too.” Premnath Thakur, general manager of Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, said, “Okay. Everything was fine then how the accident happened is a matter of investigation.”
Thakur said, “A high-level probe team has been constituted. Any conclusion can be drawn after examining its voice recorder and other circumstances.”
The team will submit its report within 45 days. Pokhara, the tourist hot spot is situated between two rivers – Bijaypur and Seti – making it an ideal habitat for birds. Excellent for sightseeing, of course, but proved to be a terror for pilots.