Thursday, September 26, 2013

Air Dynasty chopper crashes while landing

An Air Dynasty chopper carrying three passengers crashed while landing at the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla today morning. But there was no casualties. Three injured passengers and the pilot were given primary treatment at Pasang Lhamu-Nicole Nicky Hospital. Later seriously injured Malla and Dawagel Sherpa were transferred to Vayodha Hospital in Kathmandu.
According to a preliminary report, the helicopter crashed at around 8:20am when it touched the fencing wire of the airport while landing, according to the Tribhuvan International Airport Civil Aviation Office.
“The 9 NA-AEX helicopter carrying Anita Thapa, Dawagel Sherpa and Sonam Tshering Sherp,” it informed adding that pilot Arun Malla was flying the chopper. Either miscommunication or the high speed wind might have caused the accident, the airport authority said.
Lukla – the most dangerous airport – witnesses such accidents due to high speed of the wind. Though, there is a wind detector at the ATC tower at Lukla airport, it could differ from the tarmac and confuse the ATC and the pilots.  Since 1961, the country has seen some 70 air accidents with around 300 fatalities, according to the Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN).

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