Saurya CRJ200 crash inquiry cautions carriers over weight-and-balance compliance

Nepalese investigators have revealed that the operator of the Bombardier CRJ200 involved in a fatal take-off accident at Kathmandu was not complying with aircraft loading requirements before the crash. Weight and balance of the Saurya Airlines jet before the 23 July flight are among the aspects of the inquiry highlighted for further scrutiny by the Nepalese government’s aircraft accident investigation commission. Flight-data recorder analysis has indicated that the aircraft experienced an “unusually high” pitch rate – up to 8.6°/s – during rotation from Kathmandu’s runway 02, far above the typical 3°/s. Almost immediately after rotation, the aircraft began to oscillate – its right wing dipped, before it rolled to left-wing down, and then banked 94.6° to the right, descending from about 130ft to strike the ground with its right wing. The jet was airborne for about 15s, the inquiry indicates, with both stick-shakers activating “multiple times” from around 3s after lift-off. Only the captain survived from among the three crew members and 16 passengers. The CRJ200, which had remained grounded for 34 days before the flight, was being ferried from Kathmandu to Pokhara in order to undergo base maintenance.<br/>