Tara Air Submits Preliminary Report on Emergency Door Glass Panel Detachment Incident

Tara Air has submitted a preliminary investigation report to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) regarding an incident involving the detachment of the glass panel of the emergency door during takeoff. The incident occurred on Sunday, December 10, on the Kathmandu-Lukla route.

According to Tara Air’s report, the glass panel of the emergency door detached after the aircraft, with the 9N-ALO callsign, departed from Tribhuvan International Airport en route to Lukla. Gyanendra Bhul, the information officer of CAAN, explained that the detachment was a result of a failure in properly securing the luggage. The cargo, it was revealed, was not adequately loaded, leading to the glass panel falling onto vacant land near Gothatar, close to Krishna Temple, shortly after takeoff from Runway 02.

The investigation also uncovered that the pilot was unaware of the detachment of the glass panel on the right side during the flight. In response to the incident, Tara Air underwent a refresher class for cargo loaders as directed by CAAN. Additionally, the pilot, co-pilot, and air hostess involved in the flight were grounded for eight days, with their release effective as of yesterday.

The ’emergency door’ incident took place at 9:30 AM on December 10, with the detachment of the door’s glass panel only discovered after the aircraft landed at Lukla at 10 AM. The incident has prompted a comprehensive review of safety protocols and cargo loading procedures within Tara Air to prevent similar occurrences in the future.