KATHMANDU, NEPAL — Dramatic scenes unfolded at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) early Monday morning as 289 people were forced to evacuate a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 via emergency slides following a fire in the aircraft’s landing gear.
Incident Details
Flight TK726, arriving from Istanbul, touched down in the Nepali capital at approximately 6:45 AM local time. Shortly after landing, witnesses and airport officials reported seeing thick grey smoke and visible flames erupting from the Right Main Landing Gear (MLG).
Preliminary reports suggest the fire was caused by overheated brakes or a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe. Airport emergency services responded immediately, deploying fire engines to douse the flames before they could reach the main fuselage.
Passenger Safety and Evacuation
Despite the harrowing sight of smoke billowing from the undercarriage, all 277 passengers and 12 crew members (some reports state 11 crew) were safely evacuated.
Impact on Airport Operations
As the only international gateway to Nepal, the single-runway airport faced significant disruption:
- Runway Closure: The runway was temporarily closed for approximately one hour while the aircraft was inspected and eventually towed to a secure taxiway.
- Flight Delays: Several incoming international flights were forced into holding patterns or diverted to nearby airports.
- Current Status: Operations have since resumed, though a backlog of flights is expected throughout the day.
Investigation Underway
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has launched a formal technical investigation into the cause of the overheat. Turkish Airlines Communications Director Yahya Üstün confirmed that the aircraft (registration TC-JNP) is currently grounded for a full safety inspection.
