Plane Crash “Black Box” Found by Investigators

(Daily360.com) – On January 15, a Yeti Airlines ATR 72 aircraft was attempting to land at Pokhara International Airport (PKR) in Nepal when the plane suddenly rotated, pointing its wing to the ground. It subsequently crashed into a gorge with 72 people on board, there were no known survivors. Most of the people on the flight were from Nepal, while other victims had come from India, Russia, South Korea, Australia, France, Ireland, and Argentina. The cause of the tragedy remains unknown, but authorities may soon have answers.

Aerotime reported the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal found the trip’s Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder on the day following the crash. The two devices are part of the aircraft’s black box, which records all the activity inside the plane during the flight. Using the data, experts will likely be able to piece together what led to the deadly crash. ATR Specialists announced soon after the incident that they were both supporting those affected and cooperating with the investigation.

Breaking by @SaleemQadri_ @ATRaircraft Statement on Nepal Plane Crash #Nepal #NepalPlaneCrash #Kathmandu #PokharaAirport pic.twitter.com/j1VmhtIiH1

— Asia News (@asianewsteam) January 15, 2023

Associate Professor of Aviation and the Environment at Cranfield University in the UK, Guy Gratton, recently spoke to Newsweek about the tragedy. He made a couple of educated guesses as to what occurred during the flight. Gratton said the plane probably rolled because the airflow over one wing was different from the other, causing the craft to spin. He said that might have happened because the plane had stalled, and the problem could have compounded due to wind coming off the mountains.

According to the expert, stalling is a common risk, and pilots are trained to handle the situation. However, the vehicle might have been too low to recover. Still, the reason a plane might spin does not reveal the cause, which may include pilot error.

A full answer will hopefully come from an examination of the black boxes, which will show turbulence, cabin temperature, altitude, and fuel levels. Conversations in the cockpit before and during the accident, which the box also records, could also prove helpful.