Kathmandu - Phaplu

On March 31, 1975 at 12:00 PM, Kathmandu - Phaplu experienced a crash involving Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter), operated by Royal Nepal Airlines, with the event recorded near Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Bagmati.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu Airport, while in initial climb, the single engine airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a cornfield. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all five occupants were killed, among them Louise Hillary and Belinda Hillary aged 16, spouse and daughter of the Alpinist Edmund Hillary.

Aircraft reference details include registration 9N-AAZ, MSN 727, year of manufacture 1971.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 27.6866°, 85.2525°.