Air Plane Veers Off Runway in Nepal, All 55 On Board Safe

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New Delhi: A turboprop passenger aircraft operated by Buddha Air veered off the runway while landing at Bhadrapur Airport in eastern Nepal on Monday, the airline confirmed. All 51 passengers and four crew members on board are safe.

The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operating a scheduled flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, overshot the runway by approximately 200 metres and came to a stop near a rivulet. The plane sustained minor damage in the incident.

Flight tracking data identified the aircraft as flight number 9N-AMF. Emergency procedures were immediately activated, and passengers were safely evacuated without injuries.

The incident has once again drawn attention to Nepal’s aviation safety record, which has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years. In July 2024, a Bombardier CRJ200LR operated by Saurya Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, killing 18 of the 19 people on board. Earlier, in January 2023, an ATR 72 operated by Yeti Airlines crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 72 people on board after the aircraft stalled during approach.

Authorities are expected to investigate the latest runway excursion to determine the cause.