US charter plane stuck in Kathmandu for 9 days

KATHMANDU: A US charter jet has been grounded at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu, for the past nine days following an accident involving a towing tractor operated by Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).

The Gulfstream G-V aircraft, owned by Griffin Air, a US-based private charter and cargo operator, landed in Kathmandu on April 19 (Baisakh 6) and was scheduled to depart the following day.

However, while being towed from a reverse parking area near Sinamangal to the parking bay for engine lubrication, the aircraft sustained damage when the tractor collided with its nose section.

According to sources involved in the aircraft’s maintenance, the nose cone and radar system were damaged.

Although Griffin Air supplied the necessary parts, NAC was responsible for handling the aircraft and had to coordinate repairs.

An engineer from Singapore is expected to inspect the aircraft and approve the repairs before the jet can return to the US.

The initial estimate of damage is around NPR 10 million (approximately USD 75,000), with the incident causing the cancellation of several pre-booked charter and cargo flights.

The extended grounding has also forced the flight crew to prolong their stay in Kathmandu.

The captain, originally staying at Marriott Hotel in Naxal, has since moved to the Hilton due to the extended delay.

The co-pilot, needing to attend a training program, returned to the US via Doha, and a replacement pilot is arriving in Kathmandu today.

The flight attendant on board returned to the US via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight.

The aircraft was chartered by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport three undocumented Nepali nationals.

It arrived in Nepal via Bangladesh, where it had earlier deported 10 undocumented Bangladeshi citizens.

Six ICE officers accompanying the flight returned to the US on a commercial flight this Monday.

Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN) has launched an investigation into the incident through its Safety Department.

The tractor operator involved in the accident has been suspended, and a detailed report is expected within a week.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kathmandu has formally urged NAC to expedite the investigation and repairs, emphasizing the importance of returning the aircraft and its crew to the US as soon as possible.

Coordination between the airline and the government is being facilitated by Nepal Aviation, based in Sanepa.