NOC forms probe committee to probe lightning incident

Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has formed an internal committee to investigate into the incident of damage to the sharklet of a narrow-body aircraft caused by lightning.

The committee formed under the leadership of NAC’s Deputy Managing Director Doleshwor Koirala is expected to study the sequence of incidents, technical condition and safety aspects of the flights.

According to sources, the issue of the plane being grounded in Hong Kong and returned to Kathmandu with passengers is being taken seriously from the security point of view. Meanwhile, the cockpit crew involved in the flight to Hong Kong on March 26 has been temporarily banned from flying and a detailed written report has been demanded on the incident.

In the incident, a narrow-body aircraft of Nepal Airlines, Nine-N-AKX, was damaged in the incident. On February 22, a flight from Kathmandu to Hong Kong took off from Kathmandu when lightning struck the sky over Banepa. The plane landed safely in Hong Kong after a four-hour flight.

Although preparations were made to send the aircraft to Malaysia for repair, the flight has been suspended for the time being as the necessary clearance has not been received from the regulator, according to NAC sources. The aircraft will be taken to Malaysia on a special flight without carrying passengers after a formal directive from Airbus.