US Bangla Flight 211 Incident Overview

Incident Summary

• US Bangla Flight 211 approaching runway 20 at Kathmandu Airport.
• Cockpit alarms: "Too Low. Pull Up!" due to poor visibility.
• Aircraft veers off track, flying over domestic terminal, nearly colliding with ATC tower.
• 71 passengers on board unaware of impending disaster.

Background of Pilots

First Officer: Prithula Rashid

• First female pilot of US Bangla Airlines.
• 25 years old with 390 flight hours.
• Flying into Kathmandu for the first time.

Captain: Abid Sultan

• 52 years old, former Bangladesh Air Force pilot.
• Over 22 years of flying experience.
• Has more than 100 flights to Kathmandu.
• Appears agitated and stressed prior to flight.

Pre-flight Preparations

• 67 passengers, mostly Nepali and Bangladeshi.
• Cabin crew conducts safety briefing.
• Captain's angry demeanor noted, especially towards operations staff but calms when speaking to FO Rashid.

Flight Path and Weather Conditions

• Marginal weather en route to Kathmandu; overcast with thunderstorms.
• Captain overhears communications regarding fuel but responds angrily.
• Captain violates Sterile Cockpit Rule by engaging in non-essential conversation.

Cockpit Atmosphere

• Captain displays erratic behavior, rants about a young female pilot who filed a complaint against him.
• History of depression; previously removed from active duty due to psychiatric issues.
• Lights a cigarette in cockpit—a safety violation.

Approach to Kathmandu

• 1 hour into flight, Captain not adequately prepared for the approach.
• FO Rashid hands over charts; Captain fails to complete full briefing.
• Complacency leads to missed steps in approach.
• FO makes incorrect statements, not corrected by Captain.

Descent and Approach Confusions

• Aircraft handed off to Kathmandu approach; instructed to descend and hold at a waypoint.
• Pilots forget to remove programmed HOLD before approaching runway.
• Captain attempts to control aircraft while dealing with distractions in the cockpit.

Dangerous Turn of Events

• Plane starts turning left automatically due to programmed HOLD.
• ATC warns crew of left turn; captain corrects to 027 degrees.
• Crosswinds exacerbate control issues; pilots fail to correct for wind.
• Captain falsely claims landing gear is down; alarm triggers as they descend.

Critical Errors and Final Approach

• ATC clears US Bangla for landing at runway 20.
• Confusion leads to risky right turn instead of aligning with runway 02.
• Ground Proximity Warning Alarm activates as they descend dangerously low.
• Captain misinterprets instructions, leads to a near catastrophe with Buddha Air flight.

Final Moments

• Captain makes desperate attempt to land on wrong runway.
• Aircraft approaches at high speed, nearly colliding with ATC tower.
• Pilot manages to avoid the tower but ultimately loses control.
• Plane crashes 1.7 km down the runway, catching fire immediately.
• Casualties: 47 passengers, both pilots and cabin crew perish; few survivors found.

Lessons and Implications

• Highlighted the importance of mental health evaluations for pilots.
• Need for strict adherence to cockpit protocols and communication standards.
• Reinforces the necessity of thorough pre-flight preparations and approach briefings.