Full Breakdown
Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 Evacuated After Landing-Gear Fire at Kathmandu Airport
5/11/2026, 9:12:32 PM
Incident Overview
On 11 May 2026, Turkish Airlines flight TK726, an Airbus A330 (registration TC-JNP), landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. While taxiing, smoke emerged from the right-rear landing-gear tyre, prompting an immediate evacuation of all on board. The 277 passengers and 11 crew members exited via emergency slides; no injuries were reported. Fire-fighting crews doused the tyre fire and the aircraft was towed to a taxiway, leading to a one-hour closure of the airport’s sole runway. The shutdown caused temporary delays for inbound and outbound flights, which resumed after approximately one hour.
Airport Context & Operational Challenges
Tribhuvan International Airport operates a single runway in a high-altitude valley surrounded by mountains, making take-offs and landings sensitive to weather and terrain. The airport’s limited redundancy means any ground incident can quickly disrupt international traffic.
Technical Cause & Inspection
CAAN confirmed the fire originated in the right-rear tyre. Turkish Airlines senior vice-president for communications Yahya Ustun said initial analysis points to a hydraulic-pipe malfunction that generated the smoke. Both the airline and Nepalese regulators have begun detailed technical examinations of the landing-gear assembly, tyres and related braking systems.
Official Statements & Responses
Turkish Airlines announced that technical inspections were underway and that an additional flight would return passengers to Istanbul. CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul reported the fire was extinguished, the aircraft grounded, and safety teams monitoring the runway. Airport security officer SP Rajkumar Silawal confirmed the tyre fire and noted that United Nations personnel were among the passengers.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the passenger total, reporting either 277 or 278 individuals, and on whether United Nations staff were aboard. While the fire’s origin is identified as the tyre, the smoke is attributed to a hydraulic-pipe malfunction, leaving the exact sequence of events unresolved.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Technical inspections of the aircraft have been initiated by our teams. Initial assessments indicate that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe.” — Yahya Ustun, Senior Vice President, Communications, Turkish Airlines
- “After our Airbus A330 aircraft operating the Istanbul-Kathmandu TK726 flight landed normally on the runway, smoke was observed in the landing gear while taxiing,” — Yahya Ustun, Turkish Airlines
- “The evacuation process was completed successfully and no injuries were reported,” — Yahya Ustun, Turkish Airlines
- “The fire broke out in the right rear tyre of the aircraft. The fire was doused and the plane was towed to the taxiway. It is grounded,” — Gyanendra Bhul, CAAN spokesperson
What’s Next
The aircraft will undergo a comprehensive technical examination before returning to service. Nepalese and Turkish aviation authorities will review the findings to decide whether fleet-wide inspections are needed. Passengers with onward travel are advised to monitor airline communications for possible schedule changes.
