Turkish A330 incident, Kathmandu
 

A Turkish A330-300 has had a serious landing incident at Kathmandu, Nepal, apparently in v poor visibility.

The aircraft, which was only delivered last May, appears to have suffered a nosegear collapse.

https://twitter.com/neilpande/status...947648/photo/1

Thankfully, no fatalities/injuries reported. No info as yet as to number on board.

238 on board according to this report,skidded off runway in dense fog.

http://rt.com/news/237457-turkish-pl...medium=twitter

Cheers

THY Helpdesk apparently unaware of the incident at the time:
https://twitter.com/thatjohn/status/572974328947474433

I hope that the ATC controller didn't quote this.....but it is Nepal.

I assume the pilots have been labelled as heroes. That's what Turkish had to say six years ago in Amsterdam.

Oh come on these guys are true heroes for landing in dense fog while there is only a VOR/DME approach at KTM :ugh:

There is a RNP AR approach requiring just 1500m viz. If only companies would get themselves approved to do it...

nepal runway excursion
 

some piccies and videos here

http://rt.com/news/237457-turkish-plane-nepal-accident/

The visibility in the twitterpictures ,taken during the evacuation, seems well below minima's .

True.. That's what it says on our charts
Your company may be approved for lower.

Either way, it doesn't mean that today's incident could have been prevented by an RNP AR approach.

Even though I go there a few times a month, I don't want to start making uneducated guesses. Let's just wait for the reports to come out.

For now, I'm just thankful everyone is ok.

Here's the Avherald summary.

Accident: THY A333 at Kathmandu on Mar 4th 2015, runway excursion and nose gear collapse

during the evac piccies and video you can see the sun poking through so the fog layer may have been thin and patchy?

the wx TAF's shown indicate the 500m viz was for a short while

Where can I find the RNP approach into Kathmandu? I only find these scary stepped-DME VOR NDB approaches in my papers.

METAR VNKT 032350Z 00000KT 0500 FG VV/// 08/07 Q1013

I just watched a replay of said flight (TK726, reg. TC-JOC) on flight radar.

It took off more or less on schedule at 1845z. Arrived near KTM at around the time of the metar above. Completed about ten holding patterns at FL210, then proceeded to KTM, made a go-around, tried for a second time and then ended up beside the runway apparently. "Landing" time at around 0200z, after two hours in the hold.

VOR-DME 02
TK 726

Jacdec Report

As per the Flight Radar track, they were doing the RNAV and not the VOR/DME approach. And from the pictures it seems they went off the runway around Taxiway D and ended up between the runway and the taxiway.

A333 Kathmandu
 

We have friends and relatives that were turned away from KTM just an hour before landing and returned to their departure points at KL. I am impressed that they carried enough fuel to make the return trip! Is this normal?

Some airlines operating into KTM have approvals for RNAV 02 approach which has a shallower descent path and a final course offset to the west. I dont know if THY has that approval . Anyhow, according to videos made by passengers just after getting out of the airplane one can see that the visibility must have been well below any minima ! KTM is very well known for morning fogs at this time of the year, which dissipate around 10 -11 am and while I salute the idea of trying an approach down to minima, this was a case for diversion, not after the first unsuccessful approach, after repotedly holding for 2 hours (!!!!!) but after having done a few holds ! DEL is an hour away and has CAT III capability, LKO (Lucknow) is 35 min away although could have been subject to similar weather but still has a CAT I ILS. Glad to know all walked away safe.

Is the 330 approved to do RNP AR approaches ?

The latest 330s are and by accounts this was a very new aircraft.