Sita Air Dornier 228 9N-AJH Loses a Main Wheel Landing at Dolpa, Shutting Nepal’s Juphal Airport

Sita Air Dornier 228 9N-AJH lost its right main wheel while landing at Juphal Airport in Nepal’s Dolpa district at about 8:25 a.m. local time on Thursday, September 24, 2026. All 13 passengers and three crew members were safe, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said.

The aircraft stopped on the runway and stayed there, forcing the remote mountain airport to suspend all flights.

What Happened at Juphal

The flight had come from Nepalgunj, which CAAN lists as Juphal’s only scheduled connection. CAAN said the Dornier had a problem with its landing gear during the landing roll, then came to a stop on the runway, Ratopati reported.

Police in Dolpa said the rear right tire came off, Nepal News reported. The Aviation Herald says the right main wheel separated as the aircraft landed on runway 16.

Accounts differ in the details. Khabarhub, also citing Dolpa police, described a burst tire. The cause of the wheel failure has not been published.

Seven of the 13 passengers were foreign nationals, according to the Kathmandu Post. Officials told the paper the aircraft had no other reported damage.

With the Dornier stuck on the runway, a Nepali Army aircraft approaching Juphal had to turn back. Authorities were arranging to fly technicians in by helicopter to repair the aircraft and clear the strip.

Why One Stuck Aircraft Closes Juphal

Juphal is a very small airport. CAAN’s own airport brief lists a single paved runway, 16/34, just 1,840 feet (560 m) long and 66 feet (20 m) wide.

It sits at 8,212 feet (2,503 m), and CAAN rates it for visual flight rules only, with no navigation aids and no approach lights. The apron has room for just two Twin Otter-sized aircraft.

CAAN’s brief also lists no rescue and firefighting service and no refueling. The airport opens only in the morning, from 6 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. between mid-February and mid-November.

With one runway and an apron that small, a disabled aircraft on the strip leaves nowhere else to land. CAAN also puts the airport three hours’ walk from Dunai, and help arriving quickly means arriving by air.

Nepal’s short, high mountain strips feature on lists of the world’s most demanding airports. CAAN notes that Juphal is also the gateway to Shey Phoksundo National Park and the Upper Dolpa trek.

Sita Air and Nepal’s Safety Record

Sita Air, based in Kathmandu, flies Dornier 228 turboprops on domestic routes. The airline lost one on September 28, 2012, when Flight 601, a Dornier 228 bound for Lukla, crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, killing all 19 people on board.

Every airline certified in Nepal, Sita Air included, remains on the EU Air Safety List. In its June 2026 update, the European Commission kept Nepal among 16 states whose carriers are banned over inadequate safety oversight by their aviation authorities.

No investigation findings have been published for the Juphal incident. CAAN said it was gathering further details and examining the aircraft’s condition.