Close Shave As Plane Carrying 55 Veers Off Runway While Landing In Nepal

A turboprop passenger aircraft of Buddha Air veered off the runway while landing in Nepal's Bhadrapur today, the airline said.

The plane carried 51 passengers and four crew members; all are safe, the airline said. It came to Bhadrapur from the capital Kathmandu.

The flight No. 9N-AMF shows on trackers as an ATR 72-500 turboprop passenger aircraft.

Technical and relief teams have been sent from Kathmandu, the airline said.

#FlightAlert
काठमाडौंबाट भद्रपुर उडान संख्या 901 जहाज 9N-AMF भद्रपुर विमानस्थलमा अवतरणका क्रममा रनवेबाट बाहिरिएको छ । सो जहाजमा 51 जना यात्रु रहेका थिए । यात्रु एवं चालक दल [४ जना] सबैजना सुरक्षित रहेका छन् ।

काठमाडौंबाट अर्को जहाजमा टेक्निकल एवं रिलिफ टिम पठाउन लागिएको छ ।

— Buddha Air (@AirBuddha) January 2, 2026

The aircraft overshot the runway by some 200 metres off the ground near a rivulet, suffering minor damage during the incident.

Nepal aviation's safety record has often come under scrutiny. In July 2024, a Bombardier CRJ200LR of Saurya Airlines crashed after taking off from Kathmandu, killing 18 out of the 19 on board.

In January 2023, an ATR 72 of Yeti Airlines stalled and crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 68 passengers and 4 crew members on board. The pilot had accidentally feathered the engines - folding the propeller blades in such a way that they generate no thrust - just before the crash.