FlightFinder
Check my flight
10 fatalities

Twin-Engine Aircraft Crash Near Simara Airport (9N-AFL)

Simara, NepalTakeoff (climb)

On December 25, 1999, a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter (registration 9N-AFL) operated by Skyline Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Simara, Nepal during takeoff. 10 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled flight into terrain after the crew failed to follow the correct route after takeoff and continued at an insufficient altitude until the aircraft collided with terrain. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Source recordUpdated 2026-09-03Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine aircraft crashed into Mt Burja Lek shortly after departing Simara Airport for Kathmandu, killing all 10 people on board in marginal weather conditions.

Incident Overview and Departure Details A twin-engine aircraft departed from Simara Airport at 1457 local time on a scheduled flight to Kathmandu. The aircraft was carrying a total of 10 people on board at the time of departure. The flight was operating under marginal weather conditions, which were noted as a factor in the subsequent events. The specific aircraft type, registration, and operator were not provided in the official source material, and therefore are not included in this account to maintain strict factual accuracy based solely on the provided text. The departure was part of a regular scheduled service, indicating a commercial or regular air transport operation, though the exact nature of the operator is not specified in the source.

Probable cause

Controlled flight into terrain after the crew failed to follow the correct route after takeoff and continued at an insufficient altitude until the aircraft collided with terrain.
Controlled flight into terrain

Related events

Same operator

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 25 Dec 1999 De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter accident near Simara, Nepal?

A twin-engine aircraft crashed into Mt Burja Lek shortly after departing Simara Airport for Kathmandu, killing all 10 people on board in marginal weather conditions.

Were there any fatalities in the 25 Dec 1999 De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 10 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 25 Dec 1999 involved a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, registration 9N-AFL, operated by Skyline Airways, at Simara, Nepal.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

Controlled flight into terrain after the crew failed to follow the correct route after takeoff and continued at an insufficient altitude until the aircraft collided with terrain.

More accident analyses