Yeti Airlines Crash

[Alisoncc]

Meanwhile, a video being widely shared online was allegedly filmed and broadcast on Facebook Live by one of the passengers in the final moments of the flight.

Before having the honour of taking the LHS to earn a crust put in the years as a Radio LAME. Tracking down cross channel interference between various systems enclosed in the metal tube known as an aeroplane was a regular occurrence. Whilst a brand new expertly maintained aerie may well be able to handle streaming internet videos during the most sensitive times of the flight, like on an approach, this one was possibly not.

Can always blame the jockey if deceased, ........??? But quite scary from my perspective.

Alison

[John Hill]

There are strongly conflicting views on the validity of the video. However, apart from showing a flap extended it does not prove anything about this accident.

I did not catch the sight of the flap extended, was it the port of starboard flap? How can flap extended tie in with ground video of no flaps?

I remain unconvinced of, anything.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Check the inflight video at 0:19 - 0:20.
The port flap appears to be at 15 degrees.
The port aileron is neutral. If there was any flap asymmetry, it would be deflected significantly.

There is also a single frame, at 0:51, when the camera is panned left-right, that shows the flap still at 15. The aircraft appears to start its final stall and left wing drop within 7 seconds of that.

From the short video from the ground, I cannot be certain of the flap position on the port side, but it doesn't appear to be 30 down. It could be up or 15. I've checked photos online of similar view angles, but there isn't a great match for the angle in the ground video.

[John Hill]

If they were cutting it fine with respect to airspeed for current configuration would wind shear trip them up?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

If my estimate for the turn they needed to make short finals is correct, and they were at normal approach speed, I doubt anything would be needed to trip them up. They'd have to stuff a fistful of power on, and I don't hear that on the inflight video. They simply didn't have the stall margin to be making that steep a turn.
That said, I think you are right that windshear may have been a factor as well, due to the ravine that they eventually crashed in.
The approach should, I think, have been abandoned some way back. If the co-pilot was, as reported, on her final check flights before making Captain, I think we have a possible reason for the apparent press-on-itis, whichever one of them was actually flying it. Neither would want to be seen not to be coping.

[TheGreenAnger]

Looking at the radar track of the doomed flight doesn't yield much, as the altitude and speed returns are clearly wrong but I must say that I think Fox3's analysis is highly plausible. Clearly an approach that should have been binned. I read that gusting winds are very typical in that area. Combine that with a late maneuver for an approach to an alternate runway at a new airfield with an unfamiliar approach procedure , possibly by a handling FO under some pressure to perform, and all the ingredients for a rushed approach and/or a mistake under duress of some kind, are all present.

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/yeti ... r-pokhara/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokhara_I ... al_Airport

[Ex-Ascot]

Sorry for the duff info from TOP of the F/O having only 100 hrs. Apparently on her check ride for LHS. In that case I would have made her operate the next leg into KTM. Interestingly my check ride for command was LHS into KTM, IFR. My training Capt said that there were 2 ways to get into there the fast and slick way dropping gear and flap at the last minute and the slow and easy way of dropping everything at the top of the approach which he advised me to do. I did and it worked fine. We had to go back in the following day. He was going to demonstrate the fast and slick approach. It didn't work. Flap above limiting speed. High and fast. Landed half way down the runway and were very luck not to have burst some tyres. The flight deck was very quiet when we turned off. He said those famous words, 'Maybe there is only one way to get into Katmandu'. Years later when he had retired from Virgin he used to come into our village pub occasionally. I only had to say Katmandu to get various expletives from him. The Squadron lost many tyres there.

We used to shuttle between there and Honkers. The old 13 checker board approach there. They couldn't have given me more difficult approaches for my qualification. Bastards. Well I didn't crash.

[Boac]

I remain unconvinced of, anything.

Are you 'convinced' that there was 1 stage of flap on the port wing in that video, John? I think Occam's Razor suggests that it is most likely the starboard flap was also out - on that flight. Whether the video is yet another cut and dub put out by sickos to gain something we will find out when the recorders are (hopefully) read.

[Ex-Ascot]

According to the driver's notes: https://aviation-is.better-than.tv/atr72fcom.pdf. Flaps are only 15 and 30. I do not think that they were at 15.

It obviously has stall warning and stick pusher. Pusher is disabled below 500' which I think someone mentioned.
If that video is genuine they went in very quickly.

[TheGreenAnger]

According to the driver's notes: https://aviation-is.better-than.tv/atr72fcom.pdf. Flaps are only 15 and 30. I do not think that they were at 15.

It obviously has stall warning and stick pusher. Pusher is disabled below 500' which I think someone mentioned.
If that video is genuine they went in very quickly.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/foota ... hed-nepal/

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Thanks for that, Ex-A.
If she would have been doing LHS for the return to Katmandu, would she have been LHS or RHS for the Pokhara leg?
Who would likely have been PH for the Pokhara approach?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Worth noting that the airport only opened two weeks ago.

[Ex-Ascot]

Multi crew operations the Capt on conversion sits LHS the training Capt RHS.

[Rwy in Sight]

Worth noting that the airport only opened two weeks ago.

Maybe an irrelevant question when was the last time the crew flew to the old airport?

[TheGreenAnger]

Worth noting that the airport only opened two weeks ago.

Maybe an irrelevant question when was the last time the crew flew to the old airport?

The new airport has been open less than a month so they could have flown the old approach relatively recently. I don't think your question is irrelevant at all.

[Boac]

From AvHerald
"On Feb 6th 2023 Nepal's AIC reported that both flight data and cockpit voice recorders were successfully read out in Singapore. According to first analysis of the flight data recorders both propellers of the aircraft went into the feather position. The reason for the feathering of both propellers is still being determined, human factors as well as technical factors are still under investigation."

That would certainly focus your mind.............

[llondel]

Sounds a bit like the prop equivalent of the Lauda Air thrust reversers.

[Boac]

Never say never, but my money is on HF.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The Taiwan ATR72 that crashed into the river in 2015 had a spurious autofeather
https://flightsafety.org/asw-article/sp ... tofeather/

ATR propellor feathering system

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The autofeather on the ATR72 should only be on for take off.
The systems for autofeathering each prop appear to be fully separate.
This would lean towards both systems autofeathered at the same time being HF.
Grabbed the wrong pair of levers?
However, a double engine failure on finals (e.g. poss. fuel starvation) would mean a double feather would be a good idea to maximise the glide, wouldn't it?