2 killed as small plane crash lands in Nepal

A small plane with 11 people on board has crash landed in Nepal’s mountainous west, an official said

Updated on: Feb 26, 2016, 18:51:27 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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The pilot and co-pilot were killed when a small plane with 11 on board crash landed in western Nepal on Friday, two days after 23 people died in another crash.

PAC P-750 aircraft operated by Air Kasthamandap of Nepal. A similar plane with 11 people on board crashed on Friday and the pilot and co-pilot were killed. (Air Kasthamandap)

The single engine PAC P-750 aircraft of Air Kasthmandap was flying from Nepaganj to Jumla when it crash landed at Chilkhaya village in Kalikot district nearly 25 minutes after take-off.

“Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed due to injuries sustained from the impact of the accident,” Pradeep Shrestha, chief district officer of Kalikot, told Hindustan Times.

The injured passengers, two of them in a critical condition, were airlifted in helicopters to Nepalganj after receiving initial treatment at a health post.

Reports quoted witnesses as saying the plane crash landed in a wheat field.

Read | Wreckage of missing plane found in Nepal; all 23 aboard dead

Pilot Dinesh Neupane died instantly while co-pilot Santosh Rana succumbed to his injuries an hour after the accident.

Preliminary reports said the plane could not land in Jumla due to a glitch. Witnesses said the plane went into a steep descent before it crash landed.

It takes about four hours to travel from the district headquarters to the site of the accident, including a three-hour trek. Shrestha said two helicopters were deployed for the search and rescue operations.

This was the second air accident in Nepal since Wednesday, when a Twin Otter aircraft of the private Tara Air crashed in Myagdi district, killing all 20 passengers and three crew members on board.

Air Kasthmandap is a small airline that started operations in 2009 with two single engine aircraft capable of extreme short take-offs and landings. It mainly operates in hilly remote areas.

Officials of the airline office were unavailable for comment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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