A helicopter collision in Nepal\u2019s Everest region has killed an Indian tourist and injured several others after two aircraft struck each other while attempting to land at a high-altitude helipad used by trekkers and climbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The accident happened shortly after 8 a.m. local time on November 3 at Pheriche, a Himalayan settlement on the route to Mount Everest Base Camp. The helicopters were operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty, two companies that regularly fly passengers, supplies and rescue missions throughout the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local authorities identified the passenger who died as a 47-year-old Indian national from Chennai. The pilots of both helicopters and another passenger, a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin, were reported injured in later updates from Nepalese authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both aircraft were Airbus AS350-series helicopters, a type widely used for operations in mountainous terrain. The Air Dynasty helicopter had flown from Lukla, while the Fishtail Air aircraft was arriving from Gorakshep with two foreign passengers onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Nepal\u2019s Civil Aviation Authority<\/em>, the collision occurred at around 8:12 a.m. while both helicopters were attempting to land at Pheriche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Kathmandu Post reported that the rotor blades of the Fishtail Air helicopter struck the passenger compartment area of the Air Dynasty aircraft when the helicopters were still only a few feet above the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exact sequence of events has not yet been determined. Nepalese aviation authorities have opened an investigation and are taking statements from those involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One aviation official told The Kathmandu Post that preliminary information suggested possible miscommunication between the pilots because the area lies outside the direct coverage of Lukla Airport\u2019s air traffic control tower. The official stressed that the cause had not yet been established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n