Enquiry launched into fatal Nepal air crash

In a Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal on Thursday, 18 people were killed, but the pilot of the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter managed to survive.

The plane, which was on route to Lukla from Kathmandu, hit a security fence when coming in for a landing at Lukla’s Tenzing-Hillary Airport, during poor weather conditions.

Two Australian and 12 German tourists, along with two tour guides, were among the dead.

The German trekking party included six women. They were headed to Gokyo in the Solukhumbu district, which is the location Mt Everest and other high peaks in the Himalayas, on an 11-night expedition.

Nepal’s government has appointed a five-member committee under attorney-general Pushpa Raj Koirala to conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash, and to present a report within two months.

This latest accident has brought back memories of an air disaster that occurred two years ago in the eastern Taplejung district, in which there were 24 fatalities, including well-known environmentalist and officials of the WWF.

In March of this year, a plane crash killed 10 people. The aircraft belonged to the UN Mission in Nepal, and went down in eastern Ramechhap district.

The runway at the Lukla airport is only 20m wide, and is sloped, having a steep 700m drop at the end.

www.yetiairlines.com