A Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 caught fire on its right landing gear while landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal [1].
The incident highlights the critical nature of emergency evacuation protocols during landing rolls, where a mechanical failure can rapidly escalate into a life-threatening fire.
The fire occurred on the morning of Monday, May 6, 2024 [1]. As the aircraft touched down and began its landing roll, flames broke out in the right landing gear assembly [1]. The crew immediately initiated emergency procedures to clear the aircraft.
Airport officials said all 278 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely from the plane [3]. No injuries were reported following the evacuation [1]. The response of the flight crew and airport emergency services prevented the fire from spreading to the main fuselage.
Tribhuvan International Airport was temporarily shut down to allow emergency teams to secure the aircraft and clear the runway [2]. This disruption affected other scheduled flights as the airport managed the crisis and ensured the site was safe for continued operations.
Turkish Airlines operated the flight using the wide-body Airbus A330, a common long-haul aircraft. Investigators are expected to examine the landing gear assembly to determine why the fire started during the landing sequence [1].
“All 278 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely from the plane”
The safe evacuation of a fully loaded wide-body aircraft under emergency conditions demonstrates the effectiveness of current aviation safety standards and crew training. While the temporary closure of Kathmandu's primary international gateway caused logistical delays, the lack of casualties suggests that the emergency response systems at Tribhuvan International Airport functioned as intended during a high-stress mechanical failure.
