Nepal

Crashed in unknown circumstances while carrying people taking part to the investigations on the RNA DC-3 registered 9N-AAH that crashed last August 1st. The airplane was written off and the occupant fate remains unknown.

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi. No weather forecast was available before takeoff. However, the pilot was to receive a forecast from New Delhi en route. The flight was cleared direct to New Delhi to cruise and maintain 8,500 feet and it took off from Kathmandu-Gaucher Airport with 4 crew and 6 passengers aboard at 1221LT. At 1302LT the flight reported to Calcutta FIC that it was 100 miles out at 8,500 feet. At 1315LT the flight reported to Calcutta '83° East at 8,500 feet'. No further messages were received from the flight, and attempts by ground stations to re-establish radio contact were unsuccessful. On 2 August search and rescue operations were instituted and on 9 August the wreckage of the aircraft was located on a mountain top at an altitude of 11,200 feet. All ten occupants were killed, among them the Indian ambassador in Nepal.

Crashed in unknown circumstances at Jiri. No casualties.

Shortly after takeoff from Bairahawa Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. All four crew members were killed.

The crew was completing a supply mission to the Swiss Dhaulagiri Expedition in the Himalaya Mountain Range and was leaving the Dambusch Pass to return to his base at Pokhara when the airplane crashed on takeoff. The right wing and the propeller were bent. While both crew members were uninjured, the airplane was abandoned in situ. Swiss people returned on site (5,200 meters high) in 1998 to recover the airplane that should repatriated in Switzerland. It is believed that a technical issue was the cause of the accident.
Crew:
Ernst Saxer, pilot,
Emil Wick, copilot.

The crew started the descent to Kathmandu in poor weather conditions when the airplane crashed on a mountainous area located about 20 km from the airport. Following a navigational error on part of the pilots, the airplane followed a wrong approach path to Kathmandu Airport and went into the wrong valley. At the last moment, the pilot-in-command made a sharp turn to avoid the mountain but the aircraft stalled due to an insufficient speed and crashed on a rocky slope. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 20 occupants have been killed.

The landing at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan was completed at an excessive speed. On touchdown, the aircraft bounced several times before landing firmly. After few dozen yards, the pilot-in-command added power in an attempt to go around when the airplane overran and crashed into a ravine. Nineteen occupants were injured while 14 others plus one person on the ground were killed.

During the takeoff run, the captain saw a man crossing the runway and decided to liftoff asap. He pulled on the control column and the aircraft rotated quickly. Unfortunately, the aircraft's speed was too low and it stalled before crashing few dozen yards farther. Two crewmen were killed while a third one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

After touchdown, the aircraft encountered difficulties to stop. It overran and went down and embankment before coming to a halt. While the aircraft was destroyed, all 16 occupants were rescued.