Nepal Airlines skid off the runway

A small domestic aircraft of Nepal Airlines bound for Pokhara skidded off the runway while taking off at Jomsom Airport in Mustang district on Friday.

During the take off from Jomsom Airport Nepal Airlines skidded off the runway and got its wheels stuck in the drain today morning. Normal flights resumed only after the aircraft was pulled over with the help of Nepali Army and Nepal Police personnel. Reports said that the aircraft did not sustain any damages.

All the passengers(18) including the crew members(6) are safe. They have not suffered any trauma or injuries.

Sita Air Crash in Nepal

Nineteen passengers including three crew members were killed after the Dornier Aircraft 9N-AHA of Sita Air crashed just a kilometer far from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu this morning. The plane was en-route to Lukla from TIA, Kathmandu.

The names or nationalities of the victims could not be ascertained immediately, but it is learnt that there were seven Nepali passengers and 12 foreigners. The aircraft crashed near the bank of the Manohara River in Kathmandu within a few minutes of its take off after air controller office of TIA gave a signal.

So far, only the crew members have been identified as pilot Bijay Tandukar, co-pilot Takesi Thapa and air-hostess Ruja Shakya, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jaya Bahadur Chand who is at the crash site.

Staffs of the Sita Air have their saying that the crash may be due to ‘on air fire or it could be struck to a bird’ on air while it was taking a height.

The front part of the aircraft was totally burnt down and only the tail is remaining safe, said SSP Chand. Seven fire engines were deployed to douse off the fire that set ablaze on the plane after crash. Police were currently taking out the bodies of the deceased passengers.

This is the sixth time a Dornier Aircraft has crashed in Nepal. Few months ago, Agni Air took the lives of 15 people at the Jomsom Airport in Mustang district, Nepal. Nowadays, plane crashes have been frequent in Nepal because of increased air traffic, pilot’s faults and bad weather.

May the Departed Soul rest in Peace!!!

Latest Update:
The Sita Air passenger list identifies the Nepali passengers as Mrs MK Tamang, Mr LN Sherpa, Mr D Rai and and Mr Kumar Moktan including pilot Bijay Tandukar, co-pilot Takesi Thapa and flight attendant Ruja Shakya who were the members of the crew.

Nepal Police, on the other hand, identified as the seventh Nepali national as Kumar Moktan. He is said to be a Nepal Army soldier.

The Sita Air identified the seven British passengers as Mr R Eagle, Mr C Davey, Mr V Kelly, Mr D Kelly, Mr T Oakes, Mr S Holdings, Mr B Ogden.

Likewise, four Chinese passengers are identifies as Mr Mingwu Qian, M Lin WU, Ms Zhihua Yang, Ms Chen Yang and 1 American Wu Hui of Chinese origin.

Student Wu Hui, 27, of California, was named among five Chinese dead in the crash, but Sita Air said his passport recovered at the crash site revealed he was an American of Chinese origin.

“One American citizen of Chinese origin was among the 12 foreigners who died in the Sita Air crash,” Sita Air spokesman Deependra Shahi said.

Though the weather was clear in the morning, the pilot had reported some problems to the air controller after two minutes of the take-off, TIA’s General Manager Ratish Chandra Lal Suman said. According to him, the plane probably was trying to get back to the airport before meeting with the fatal accident.

Moreover, the Nepal Police and Nepal Army personnel, and fire brigade rushed to the crash for rescue operation. However, all the people on board the ill-flated plane had already died when the fire was contained. The fire gutted the plane’s body except its rare wing.

 

Nepal beat USA in ICC WCL-IV

Nepal won the ICC World Cricket League (WCL) against U.S.A. by 8 wickets in the final match that was held at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur today.

Elected to bat first after winning the toss, U.S.A. scored 145 runs losing all wickets in 48.1 overs as Orlando M Baker and Sushil Kumar Suhas Nadkarni scored 39 runs each while Aditya Mishra scored 28 runs, Steven R Taylor 11 runs and Timroy Patrick Allen 10 runs.

Chasing the target of 146 runs, Nepal easily met the target in 28 overs by losing only 2 wickets with 132 balls remaining as Ganendra Malla scored 66 runs, Subash Khakurel 40 runs and Parash Khadka 25 runs. It is a second victory of Nepal against U.S.A and the first great international achievement.

Basanta Regmi grabbed five wickets while Shakti Gauchan took two wickets. Similarly, Binod Das, Sanjam Regmi and Paras Khadka took one wicket each against USA. Finally, Basanta Regmi was declared as player of the match.

Nepal’s coach, Pubudu Dassanayake, expressed happiness on his team’s performance: “The team did just what was needed here and deserved to win. When I came to Nepal the goal was always to get this team up to a chance of qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and this Division 4 win now means we’re one step closer. There’s a lot more hard work to do but I’m delighted with the progress so far.”

Earlier, Nepal had a victory over Singapore, Tanzania, Malaysia, U.S.A., Denmark by 5 wickets, 8 wickets, 10 wickets, 32 runs and 25 runs respectively. It is a great achievement for Nepali cricket teams as they maintained their unbeaten run in all matches. Nepalese are proud of you guys.

Now, Nepal and U.S.A. will join Italy, Oman, Bermuda and Uganda in the WCL Division-III tournament in Bermuda. The top two sides will go to the 2015 World Cup qualifiers in New Zealand in 2014.

Moreover, Singapore beat Denmark by 5 wickets in the second match of the day and remained in the Division-IV. Though, Malaysia beat Tanzania in the third match of the day by five wickets to finish fifth in the tournament, both teams were lowered to Division-V.

Most Expensive and Most Powerful Fighter Aircrafts in the World

Here, the fighter aircraft are expensive because of its advanced technology being used as these aircraft are fast and powerful.
To strengthen the military supremacy of the ‘superpowers’, modern and advanced fighter aircraft were developed and modified from time to time. These aircraft were designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft. These are also capable of ground-attacks. Without these prolific flying machines as weapon, victory in warfare is unattainable.

1. Sukhoi Su-37 ($147.7 million)

The Russian-made Sukhoi Su-37 or Flanker-F (by NATO) is an experimental multi-role jet fighter aircraft is a single seat fighter. It was developed from Su-35. This vessel which is 22.18 meters long was first flown in 1996 by Russian Air Force.

Sukhoi Su-37 has a maximum speed of 1,550 mph. This is one of the most expensive jet fighters in history, as of 1996, it has a jaw-dropping price of $147.7 million. Only 2 units were built. It is equipped with GSh-30 cannon with 150 rounds.

2. F-22 Raptor ($142.6 million)

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is the most popular and most prolific of all the modern-day jet fighters. This single seat vessel is believed to be the best fighter aircraft in the world. This twin engine 5th generation aircraft which was developed by the US uses stealth technology. F-22 was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter and is capable also of ground attack, electronic warfare and signal intelligence roles. It is claim that no aircraft can matched the F-22 Raptor and is regarded the most outstanding fighter plane ever built.

This 18.9 meter long fighter aircraft costs $142.6 million as of 2009. It has a breathtaking maximum speed of 1,500 mph. It is equipped with M61 A2 Gatling Gun, air-to-ground missiles and others.

3. Mitsubishi F-2 ($108 million)

The Japanese fighter aircraft named Mitsubishi F-2 was jointly manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin. This 15.52 meter long multi-role fighter is worth $108 million dollars. Its maximum speed is 2.0 mach.

Weapons included on its armaments include; 20 mm JM61A1 cannon, free fall bombs with GCS-1 IIR seeker heads, anti-ship missiles, air-to-ground weapons and others.

4. Sukhoi Pak FA ($100 million)

The Russian fighter aircraft called Sukhoi PAK FA will be the replacement of Mig-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker.  It is designed to directly compete with F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. This stealth multi-role fighter with a length of 22 meters and with a maximum speed of 2.45 mach or 1,615 mph will be introduced in 2013. One thousand units are projected to be built and a unit will cost $100 million.

Its main weapon is a 30mm GSh-30-1 gun and 10 missiles.

5. F-15K Slam Eagle ($100 million)

The F-15K Slam Eagle is an advanced derivative of the F-15E, ordered and being delivered to Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). One of its many advance features not found on F-15E include; AAS-42 Infrared Search and Track – IRST, Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System- JHMCS and advanced AN/APG-63(V01 radar which makes it much more expensive. It can also launch many advanced weapons.

6. Dassault Rafale M ($90.5 million)

The French-made Dassault Rafale is fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. This 15.27 meter long twin-engine delta-wing multirole fighter aircraft used by French Air Force and Navy has also been marketed for export to several countries but has not yet received orders. It cost $90.5 million per unit and can attain a maximum speed of 2.0 mach.

7. Eurofighter Typhoon ($86 million)

The Eurofighter Typhoon, which is operated by British Royal Air Force, German, Italian, Austrian and Spanish Air Forces, is a twin-engine canard-delta wing aircraft. . This multirole fighter aircraft is 15.96 meters in length. It has a maximum speed of 2+ mach or 1,550 mph. It is equipped with laser guided bombs and air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.

It has a gun, missiles and bombs,

8. F-35 Lightning II ($83 million)

The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat and single-engine fighter aircraft was manufactured by Lockheed Martin. It is capable of performing close air support, tactical bombing and air defense missions. This 15.67 meter long stealth multirole fighter will be introduced to the US Armed Forces in 2010. It will cost $83 million. It has a maximum speed of 1.67 mach or 1,283 mph.

Some of its weapons include; laser guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and many more.

9. Dassault Rafale C ($82.3 million)

The French-made Dassault Rafale is fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. This 15.27 meter long twin-engine delta-wing multifold fighter aircraft used by French Air Force and Navy has also been marketed for export to several countries but has not yet received orders. It cost $82.3 million per unit and can attain a maximum speed of 2.0 mach.

Included on its armaments are; air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground nuclear missiles and a 30 mm cannon with 150 rounds.

10. EA-18G Growler ($73 million)

The EA-18G Growler manufactured by Boeing is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft. It is a specialized version of F/A-18F Super Hornet and will be the replacement of the EA-6B Prowler being used by US Navy. Its production started in 2007 and entered operational service in 2009. This $73 million aircraft is 18.31 meter long and can attain a maximum speed of 1.8 mach or 1,190 mph.

It has no gun but it has missiles.

11. Sukhoi Su-35BM ($65 million)

The Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35BM is a long-range and multi-role fighter. It is considered to be 4++ generation fighter first flown in 1998. This heavy class fighter aircraft is quite long compared to other fighter planes at 21.9 meters. It has a maximum speed of 2.25 mach or 1.500 mph.

It is equipped with different types of missiles and different laser-guided bombs.

12. Sukhoi Su-35 ($65 million)

The Sukhoi Su-35 or Flanker-E is a heavy class and multirole fighter used by the Russian Air Force. This 21.9 meter long vessel which was developed from Sukhoi Su-27 is worth $45 to $65 million. This long range fighter can attain a whooping speed of 2.35 mach or 1,553 mph.

This aircraft have weapons such as; 30 mm GSh-30 cannon with 150 rounds, different types of missiles and different types of bombs.

13. Saab Jas 39 Gripen ($61 million)

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a Swedish-made lightweight multirole fighter aircraft. It is used by the Swedish, Czech, Hungarian and South African Air Forces. This aircraft which is manufactured by Saab AB may cost between $40 and $61 million. It only has a length of 14.1 meters and has a maximum speed of 2 mach or 1,372 mph. Its name in English is Griffin. It is equipped with laser guided bombs.

It has a 27 mm cannon with 120 rounds, various missiles and bombs.

14. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet ($60.3 million)

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which is manufactured by Boeing, is a carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more advanced versions of F/A-18 Hornet. This aircraft that is worth $60.3 million has a length of 18.31 meters and can attain a maximum speed of 1.8 mach or 1,190 mph. It is equipped with air-to-air, air-to-surface and anti-ship missiles. Also included on its various armaments are laser-guided missiles.

This aircraft is loaded with missiles and bombs. It also has also a 20 mm M61 Vulcan gatling gun with 578 rounds.

Supreme Court Judge Shot Dead, Nepal

Supreme Court justice Rana Bahadur Bam, who was shot by motorcycle-borne assailants at Shankhamul, Lalitpur, Thursday morning at 11:15 AM, died while undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital, Thapathali, in the afternoon.
Director of Norvic Hospital, Dr Bharat Rawal who was also involved in treatment, confirmed his death. Masked assailants had opened fire at Justice Bam and his security guard Mahesh Giri at around 11:15 am. Both Bam and Khanal were inside the car and were heading to office.

Justice Bam received four bullets – one each in the neck, hand, chin and chest – and Giri was shot in the chest. Both were rushed to Norvic Hospital at Thapathali.

Family sources said the shooters must have followed him from nearly Bangalamukhi temple he visited in the morning. They said he used to go to the temple every Thursday.

Police are yet to identify the assailants and their motive behind the attack.

Meanwhile police said they have recovered a Pulsar motorcycle used by the assailants. The police also said massive manhunt has been launched in Kathmandu Valley to track down the assailants.

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi had visited the hospital when Bam was undergoing treatment.

PM Bhattarai told reporters at the hospital premises that he had ordered the security officials to take every possible step to track down those behind the attack.
Meanwhile, The Nepal Police has formed a team headed by Additional Inspector General (AIG) Kuber Rana to investigate the murder of Supreme Court justice Rana Bahadur Bam.
Police headquarters announced the probe team following death of Bam during treatment at Norvic Hospital. He was shot four times by motorcycle-borne masked assailants at Sankhamul, Lalitpur, at around 11:15 am. He was shot inside his car.

The government is also expected to announce a high-level judicial probe commission. Earlier, speaking to reporters at Norvic Hospital, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said the government would take every possible step to track down the criminals and bring them to justice.