Saurya Air Crash: Black Box sent to Singapore for examination

Kathmandu: Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, Chairman of the Accident Investigation Commission, has personally traveled to Singapore with the black box from the crashed Saurya Airlines. The black box has been sent to Singapore for analysis to investigate the plane accident and examine the voice recordings and incident details.

Commission member Sudeep Bhattarai informed Ratopati that while the Chairman himself has gone to Singapore with the black box, no additional information has been received yet. “I can’t provide more details about the study at this moment. All information will be officially released through a press statement after his return. Although the Chairman announced his trip to Singapore for the black box inspection, no further updates are available. We will issue a statement upon his return,” Bhattarai said.

The Saurya Airlines flight, which was en route from Kathmandu to Pokhara on July 23, crashed at Tribhuwan International Airport immediately after takeoff. Of the 19 people aboard, 18 were killed on the spot, while Captain Manish Ratna Shakya was rescued and later discharged from KMC Teaching Hospital Sinamangal after treatment.

Following the crash, the government formed a 5-member accident investigation commission led by former Director General of the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority (CIAA) Ratish Chandra Lal Suman. The commission includes Captain Dipu Jwarchan of Nepal Airlines, Mechanical Engineer and Head of the Department of Pulchok Engineering Campus Sudeep Bhattarai, Sanjay Adhikari of Shree Airlines, and Air Traffic Control Officer Mukesh Dangol of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

Previously, the black box from a Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara two years ago was also sent to Singapore for testing.

What is a black box? What data does it hold?
The black box is a crucial device that records the entire flight data of an aircraft, including the cockpit voice recordings. It is designed to withstand extreme temperatures and is typically located at the rear of the aircraft to ensure data preservation even if the plane is submerged in water. 

The flight data recorder captures technical aspects of the flight, while the cockpit voice recorder documents conversations between the pilot, co-pilot, and other crew members. The black box provides detailed information about the condition of the aircraft’s equipment, altitude, temperature, direction, speed, fuel levels, and the status of the auto or manual pilot, which makes it essential for investigating plane crashes.