Related News
Plane crashes in flames after bird strike on takeoff
Source: Agencies |
September 29, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A PLANE carrying trekkers to the Mount Everest region hit a bird and crashed just after takeoff from Nepal's capital Katmandu yesterday, killing the 19 Nepali, British and Chinese people on board.
The pilot of the domestic Sita Air flight reported trouble two minutes after takeoff and appeared to have been trying to turn back, said Katmandu airport official Ratish Chandra Suman. The crash site is just 500 meters from the airport, and the wrecked plane was pointing toward the airport area. Suman said the plane hit a vulture just after it took off, causing the crash.
Suman said he could not confirm whether the plane was already on fire before it crashed. Cellphone video shot by witnesses showed that the front section of the plane was on fire when it first hit the ground and that the pilot apparently had attempted to land the plane on open ground beside a river.
The fire quickly spread to the rear, but the tail was still in one piece at the scene near the Manohara River on the southwest edge of Katmandu. Villagers were unable to approach the plane because of the fire, and it took some time for firefighters to reach the area and bring the blaze under control.
Soldiers and police sifted through the wreckage looking for bodies and documents to help identify the victims. Seven passengers were British and five were Chinese; the other four passengers and the three crew members were from Nepal, authorities said.
Relatives of the Nepalese victims cried as they gathered at the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in Katmandu, where all the victims' bodies were taken.
The weather in Katmandu and surrounding areas was clear yesterday morning, and the plane was one of the first of the day to take off from Katmandu's Tribhuwan International Airport. Other flights reported no problems, and the airport remained open and operated normally after the crash.
The plane was heading for Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest. Thousands of Westerners make treks in the region around the world's highest peak each year. Autumn is considered the best time to trek the foothills of the Himalayan peaks.
Xinhua news agency identified the Chinese victims as two men - Wu Hui and Qian Mingwu - and three women - Wu Lin, Wang Jhihua and Yang Chen.
Airline officials identified the British crash victims as Raymond Eagle, 58; Christopher Franc Davey, 51; Vincent Kelly, 52; Darren Kelly, 45; Timothy Oakes, 57; Stephen Holding, 60; and Benjamin Ogden, 27.
The Nepalese passengers were identified as Kumar Marshyangdi Magar, Lakpa Noru Sherpa, D Rai and MK Tamang. The crew members were pilot Bijay Tandukar, co-pilot Takashi Thapa and hostess Ruju Shakya.
Nepal, with its poor-quality mountain roads and network of little airports, has a long history of small plane crashes. Including yesterday's, there have been at least six since October 2008.
An avalanche on another Nepal peak last Sunday killed seven foreign climbers and a guide.
The pilot of the domestic Sita Air flight reported trouble two minutes after takeoff and appeared to have been trying to turn back, said Katmandu airport official Ratish Chandra Suman. The crash site is just 500 meters from the airport, and the wrecked plane was pointing toward the airport area. Suman said the plane hit a vulture just after it took off, causing the crash.
Suman said he could not confirm whether the plane was already on fire before it crashed. Cellphone video shot by witnesses showed that the front section of the plane was on fire when it first hit the ground and that the pilot apparently had attempted to land the plane on open ground beside a river.
The fire quickly spread to the rear, but the tail was still in one piece at the scene near the Manohara River on the southwest edge of Katmandu. Villagers were unable to approach the plane because of the fire, and it took some time for firefighters to reach the area and bring the blaze under control.
Soldiers and police sifted through the wreckage looking for bodies and documents to help identify the victims. Seven passengers were British and five were Chinese; the other four passengers and the three crew members were from Nepal, authorities said.
Relatives of the Nepalese victims cried as they gathered at the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in Katmandu, where all the victims' bodies were taken.
The weather in Katmandu and surrounding areas was clear yesterday morning, and the plane was one of the first of the day to take off from Katmandu's Tribhuwan International Airport. Other flights reported no problems, and the airport remained open and operated normally after the crash.
The plane was heading for Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest. Thousands of Westerners make treks in the region around the world's highest peak each year. Autumn is considered the best time to trek the foothills of the Himalayan peaks.
Xinhua news agency identified the Chinese victims as two men - Wu Hui and Qian Mingwu - and three women - Wu Lin, Wang Jhihua and Yang Chen.
Airline officials identified the British crash victims as Raymond Eagle, 58; Christopher Franc Davey, 51; Vincent Kelly, 52; Darren Kelly, 45; Timothy Oakes, 57; Stephen Holding, 60; and Benjamin Ogden, 27.
The Nepalese passengers were identified as Kumar Marshyangdi Magar, Lakpa Noru Sherpa, D Rai and MK Tamang. The crew members were pilot Bijay Tandukar, co-pilot Takashi Thapa and hostess Ruju Shakya.
Nepal, with its poor-quality mountain roads and network of little airports, has a long history of small plane crashes. Including yesterday's, there have been at least six since October 2008.
An avalanche on another Nepal peak last Sunday killed seven foreign climbers and a guide.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
