Plane Missing

[Boulia]

Australian press reports a light plane missing on route to Lulka.

This is never good but i pray its got down safely somewhere.

[jules21]

reported as having crashed (http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/plane-crashes-in-nepal-with-15-on-board-20100824-13o5k.html). unclear if there were any injuries.

Plane crashes in Nepal with 15 on board: August 24, 2010 - 1:44PM

A Nepalese passenger plane with 15 people on board crashed shortly after taking off from Kathmandu early on Tuesday, a spokesman for the home ministry said.

"The Agni Air plane crashed while flying to Lukla," Jayamukunda Khanal told AFP, referring to a popular trekking spot in the Everest region of eastern Nepal. "There were 15 people on board."

[Trekwalla]

All are reported killed.

A plane of Agni Air has crashed in Shikhapur in Makwanpur district in central Nepal Tuesday, killing 14 people, TV channels reported.

The Twin Otter plane had left from Kathmandu for Lukla but could not land there due to inclement weather. The crash occurred while the plane was returning to the capital, Xinhua reported.

According to preliminary information, there were 11 passengers - - five Nepalis and six foreigners -- and three crew members on the plane.

[jules21]

so sad. i was happy to wait in Jomsom for the weather to clear last year, rather than take any risks.

[Trekwalla]

It has been raining heavily throughout Nepal for the past two days. No flights operated to Jomsom since 16 August.

A passenger aircraft with 14 people on board crashed in Nepal on Tuesday morning. All on board, including four American women, a Japanese man and an Irish man, are presumed dead.
There were also five Nepali passengers on board the plane operated by Agni Air, apart from three crew members, when it crashed in Makwanpur district, about 100 kilometers south of Kathmandu, according to airline officials.
Agni Air identified the Japanese passenger as 19-year-old Yuki Hayashi and the Americans as Irina Shekhets, Levzi Cardoso, Heather Sinch, and K. Fallon, all four of them women.
The Irish passenger was identified as Jeremy Taylor.
The German-built Dornier-288 plane had left Kathmandu for Lukla in the Mt. Everest region but was unable to land there. It was returning to Kathmandu when it crashed.
The district's police chief Ram Prasad Shrestha, citing villagers' accounts, said the crash completely destroyed the aircraft.
''We have received information that the aircraft is in pieces. It has been raining for three days in the district and police are yet to reach the crash site as floods have obstructed roads throughout the district,'' Shrestha told Kyodo News by phone from the district.
==Kyodo

[Lars]

Do we know anything about the weather in Kathmandu today?

I wonder what this plane was doing 100 km south of Kathmandu if it was just
returning from an aborted landing at Lukla?
Makwanpur seems to be near the Indian border.

[pbekkerh]

I seems that Kathmandu airport was closed when the plane aborted the Lukla flight, because of a generator malfunction. Later the backup generator also failed, so all instruments were off.

PS: sorry about my inappropriate signature, can't remove it.

[Rishi]

http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/2-political/8612-14-including-six-foreigners-killed-as-lukla-bound-agni-air-plane-crashes-in-makwanpur.html

[Lars]

PS: sorry about my inappropriate signature, can't remove it.
Why can't you change it? I just changed mine for a test.

User CP / Edit signature.

[yakshaver]

I seems that Kathmandu airport was closed when the plane aborted the Lukla flight, because of a generator malfunction. Later the backup generator also failed, so all instruments were off.

PS: sorry about my inappropriate signature, can't remove it.

What is innapropriate about your signature? I like innapropriate things very much!

On the subject, the Lukla route is having anoter tragedy after a year or so since the last one. I know, it is not in Lukla, as the last one, but it is still freaky. I flew in and out of that location 5 times...

[davebks]

So, that is the exact plane I took into the mountains last October. I have a lot of pictures and video of the plane and the crew, from inside and out. Do you think anyone would need some of those pics to investigate that crash??
Very scary and sad.
If so, please email me, davebks@aol.com

[Ging]

eKantipur.com : 2010-11-22
Human error blamed
http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/11/22/editors-pick/human-error-blamed/325396/

The Himalayan Times : 2010-11-21
Spatial disorientation main culprit
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Spatial+disorientation+main+ culprit&NewsID=266514

[yakshaver]

Thanks Ging.