Kathmandu - Lukla

While descending to Lukla Airport, weather conditions deteriorated and the captain decided to go-around and to follow a holding pattern. Few minutes later, as he thought weather conditions improved, he decided to attempt to land and initiated a second approach. On short final, the aircraft entered a layer of low clouds and the aircraft was not properly aligned when it struck the runway surface and bounced. Out of control, it veered off runway and came to rest in a ravine. All 17 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Flight / Schedule

Kathmandu - Lukla

Registration

9N-ABA

MSN

301

Year of Manufacture

1971

Date

June 9, 1991 at 10:10 AM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Crash Location

Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Sagarmatha

Region

Asia • Nepal

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On June 9, 1991 at 10:10 AM, Kathmandu - Lukla experienced a crash involving De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, operated by Royal Nepal Airlines, with the event recorded near Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Sagarmatha.

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

17 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 17 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 14, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While descending to Lukla Airport, weather conditions deteriorated and the captain decided to go-around and to follow a holding pattern. Few minutes later, as he thought weather conditions improved, he decided to attempt to land and initiated a second approach. On short final, the aircraft entered a layer of low clouds and the aircraft was not properly aligned when it struck the runway surface and bounced. Out of control, it veered off runway and came to rest in a ravine. All 17 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration 9N-ABA, MSN 301, year of manufacture 1971.

Fatalities

Total

0

Crew

0

Passengers

0

Other

0

Crash Summary

While descending to Lukla Airport, weather conditions deteriorated and the captain decided to go-around and to follow a holding pattern. Few minutes later, as he thought weather conditions improved, he decided to attempt to land and initiated a second approach. On short final, the aircraft entered a layer of low clouds and the aircraft was not properly aligned when it struck the runway surface and bounced. Out of control, it veered off runway and came to rest in a ravine. All 17 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

3

Passengers On Board

14

Estimated Survivors

17

Fatality Rate

0.0%

Known people on board: 17

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Kathmandu - Lukla

Flight Type

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Region / Country

Asia • Nepal

Aircraft Details

Registration

9N-ABA

MSN

301

Year of Manufacture

1971

Similar Plane Crashes

May 7, 1946 at 12:00 AM

Royal Air Force - RAF

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

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.

August 30, 1955 at 12:00 AM2 Fatalities

Kalinga Airlines

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

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.

May 15, 1956 at 12:00 AM15 Fatalities

Indian Airlines

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

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.

March 24, 1958 at 12:00 AM20 Fatalities

Indian Airlines

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

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.

May 5, 1960 at 10:16 AM

Swiss Dhaulagiri Expedition

Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter)

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.

November 5, 1960 at 12:00 AM4 Fatalities

Royal Nepal Airlines

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

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.