Singapore’s Ministry of Transport to assist with investigation into Nepal’s worst aviation disaster in 30 years
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) of Singapore will play a key role in assisting with the analysis of the black boxes from Yeti Airlines Flight 691, which tragically crashed in Pokhara, Nepal, on January 15. The crash, Nepal’s deadliest aviation accident in three decades, resulted in the loss of all 72 passengers, as the plane plunged into a gorge. As of the latest reports, two bodies are still yet to be recovered.
Although the exact cause of the crash remains unclear, the Nepalese investigation authorities have requested support from Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) to retrieve and read the data from the plane’s flight recorders. These flight data and cockpit voice recorders will be analysed at TSIB’s dedicated flight recorder readout facility, established in 2007.
The Ministry of Transport confirmed that all investigation-related information will be managed by the Nepalese authorities, including any updates or findings. The Nepalese investigation team is expected to travel to Singapore on January 27 with the flight recorders for examination.
Initially, there were plans to send the black boxes to France, as the aircraft was manufactured there, but Nepalese officials opted to send them to Singapore for analysis instead. A special committee has been formed by the Nepalese government to investigate the incident further.
Black boxes play a critical role in understanding aviation accidents. They record essential data, such as flight parameters, cockpit conversations, engine sounds, and instrumental warnings, which assist investigators in determining what went wrong during the flight.
