Kathmandu Airport Shuts Down After Malaysian Jet Skids Off Runway!

Kathmandu airport was closed on Friday after a Malaysian jet with 139 people on board aborted its take-off and skidded off the runway.

Nobody was hurt during the incident but flights flying into Kathmandu were diverted while authorities tried to move the Malindo flight which was stuck in the loose mud.

Nepal’s only international airport, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), was forced to suspend all international flight operations after the incident took place on Thursday night. Even till Friday morning, the plane could not be pulled out because it was stuck in the mud which was soggy after rains. TIA, however, resumed international flight operations after a suspension of over 12 hours.

Below are the details about the incident-

• Malindo Air flight OD 181 was aborted at 8:00 p.m. when it was gaining speed on the runway and ready to take off.
• The flight captain aborted take-off at the final moment after he saw an error at the monitor inside the cockpit.
• The plane, with 133 passengers and crew bound for Kuala Lumpur, was travelling at 165 mph.
• The aircraft could not stop because of the take-off speed and load at the final moment and overran 50 metres south from the runway threshold.
• It overran runway 02 and came to rest on the soggy grass beyond the threshold.

The aircraft was kept at the parking area when it was taken out and towed away from the grassland. No damage was caused to the airport runway during the incident.

The incident came one month after the crash of a US-Bangla Airways plane at Kathmandu airport, where 51 passengers lost their lives. In March 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet skid off the runway as it landed, forcing Tribhuvan International Airport to close for four days.

Nepal airport has one of the worlds most tricky runways, which is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Even the most accomplished pilots tremble when they are about to land or take off from the airport.