Notes on US Bangla Flight 211 Incident

Introduction

• Incident involves US Bangla Flight 211 approaching Kathmandu airport.
• Cockpit alarms sound: "Too Low. Pull Up!"
• Poor visibility due to thick fog.
• The plane veers off track and nearly collides with the ATC tower.
• Overview of disaster and investigation to follow.

Background

• Location: Kathmandu Airport, located in a narrow bowl-shaped valley surrounded by mountains.
• Pilot Profiles:
  • First Officer Prithula Rashid: First female pilot at US Bangla Airlines, 25 years old, 390 flight hours.
  • Captain Abid Sultan: Experienced pilot, former Bangladeshi Air Force, 22 years of flying, over 100 flights to Kathmandu.
• Flight Details: 67 passengers onboard, mostly Nepali and Bangladeshi.

Pre-Flight Concerns

• Captain Sultan displays agitation and stress prior to departure.
• Poor communication with operations staff indicative of a stressful mindset.
• Shift in demeanor when addressing First Officer Rashid, showing compassion.
• Weather en route and at destination marginal with thunderstorms.

In-Flight Turmoil

• Captain Sultan overhears a conversation about fuel and reacts angrily.
• Violates Sterile Cockpit Rule, engaging in non-essential conversation during critical flight phases.
• Displays behavior indicating psychological distress, discussing past complaints against him from another pilot.
• Captain smokes inside the cockpit, which violates safety protocols.

Approaching Kathmandu

• Descent & Approach:
  • Captain Sultan fails to complete an adequate briefing for the approach.
  • Hands over charts to First Officer Rashid and does not have access during approach.
  • First Officer lacks experience and does not challenge the Captain's decisions.
• Flight Management System (FMS) Errors:
  • Pilots forget to remove HOLD pattern from the FMS, leading to misalignment.
  • Captain attempts to manage the approach manually but is distracted after losing his cigarette.

Critical Moments

• The plane turns left automatically due to programmed HOLD pattern after crossing GURAS waypoint.
• ATC notices the deviation and warns pilots; Captain attempts to correct direction.
• Weather conditions worsen with a strong crosswind complicating the landing attempt.
• After failing to reorient to the correct approach, the crew continues to descend without proper checks.

Miscommunication & Confusion

• ATC mistakenly assumes US Bangla Flight 211 intends to land on Runway 20.
• Confusion escalates as the crew misunderstands their position and intentions.
• Ground Proximity Warning Alarm activates as altitude drops dangerously low.
• First Officer finally notices landing gear status after initial misinformation from the Captain.

Final Approach & Catastrophe

• Captain makes an abrupt attempt to land from an incorrect angle, not aligned with any runway.
• The ATC controller tries to cancel the clearance as the plane approaches dangerously close to the domestic terminal.
• Both pilots realize too late the aircraft is on a collision course with the ATC tower but narrowly avoid it.
• The aircraft finally touches down off-course, leading to a severe crash due to high-speed landing and improper gear status.

Conclusion

• The incident resulted in the tragic loss of 47 lives, with only a few survivors.
• Investigation highlights issues of mental health, communication breakdown, and procedural violations.
• Emphasizes the need for better mental health management and adherence to safety protocols in aviation.