Tara Air Flight 197: DHC-6/300 CFIT Accident in Mustang (9N-AET)

Accident Overview and Operational Context On 29 May 2022, Tara Air operated a DHC-6/300 Twin Otter, registration 9N-AET, on a scheduled Pokhara–Jomsom–Pokhara route. The airline had filed plans for five flights on that sector, with four to be flown by crews already at Pokhara and the final flight originally to be commanded by a pilot-in-command (PIC) who had arrived from Kathmandu that morning. Because Jomsom Airport was closed by bad weather, the arriving PIC waited at the Tara Air crew camp until the airport reopened at 0321 UTC. Tara Air then decided to operate the first scheduled flight. Anticipating that the next Jomsom operation might not proceed, the originally assigned PIC boarded as a passenger for his own business trip, and the PIC assigned to the last flight took command. The flight plan was amended accordingly. The flight, designated TRA197, departed Pokhara at 0410 UTC with 19 passengers and three crew members on board. The copilot had initially reported 18 passengers to Pokhara Tower, but the figure was revised to 19 before takeoff.