KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has formally initiated an investigation into the Buddha Air aircraft runway overrun at Bhadrapur (Chandragadhi) Airport, appointing a senior aviation expert to lead the probe.

According to a press release issued by the ministry on Tuesday, the government has designated senior captain Binod Puri of Kathmandu as the investigator to examine the accident involving Buddha Air’s ATR-72 aircraft (registration 9N-AMF). The decision was taken by the Cabinet on Poush 21, 2082 BS, in line with Rule 9(2) of the Non-Military Aircraft Accident Investigation Regulation, 2071.

The investigator has been instructed to complete the inquiry and submit a report within 45 days, the ministry said.

The accident occurred on the night of January 2 when the Buddha Air aircraft, operating the Kathmandu–Bhadrapur flight (U4 901), overran the eastern end of the runway by around 300 metres while landing at about 9:10 pm. The aircraft slid into grassy and muddy terrain beyond the runway.

There were 51 passengers, four crew members and one aircraft engineer on board at the time of the incident. Seven people, including co-pilot Sushant Shrestha (24) of Lalitpur, were injured. Shrestha sustained head and facial injuries and is undergoing treatment at Omsai Pathibhara Hospital in Bhadrapur. The remaining injured passengers received minor treatment and were discharged.

Following the incident, around 70 security personnel from Nepal Police and other agencies were mobilised for rescue and evacuation. All passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft.

Technical assessment underway

On January 3, a technical team led by Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Director General Deo Chandra Lal Karn reached Bhadrapur Airport to carry out on-site inspection and assessment. The team included officials from CAAN, the tourism ministry and technical experts from Buddha Air.

In a statement, Buddha Air said it was taking the incident seriously and pledged full cooperation with the authorities. The airline also thanked security forces and responders for the swift rescue operation.

Authorities have said the investigation will focus on technical, operational and environmental factors to determine the cause of the runway overrun.