On Feb 19th 2026, a Buddha Air ATR 72-212A, registration 9N-ANQ, returned to Biratnagar shortly after departure following an engine shutdown during climb.
Flight U4-714 had departed runway 09 in Biratnagar bound for Kathmandu with 30 people on board. While climbing out, the crew stopped the ascent at approximately 5,000 feet and shut down one of the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 series engines, specifically a PW127F variant, due to an unspecified issue.
Following established single-engine procedures, the crew elected to return to Biratnagar. The ATR positioned for runway 09 and landed safely about 25 minutes after departure.
Twin-engine turboprop aircraft such as the ATR 72 are certified to continue safe flight and landing on one engine, and flight crews are extensively trained to manage such events, particularly in terrain-sensitive environments like Nepal.
As of approximately four hours after landing, the aircraft remained on the ground in Biratnagar for technical inspection and maintenance.
The incident highlights the redundancy built into modern regional aircraft operations and the emphasis on precautionary decision-making when engine performance indications deviate from normal parameters.
