What happened
During an approach to Lukla, the flight crew encountered adverse weather conditions that prevented them from identifying the runway. In an attempt to find safer landing conditions, the pilot elected to divert the flight to Simara Airport. However, upon arrival at Simara, the visibility remained inadequate, prompting the crew to redirect the aircraft toward Kathmandu.
While the aircraft was descending toward runway 02, a generator failure occurred. The crew contacted their maintenance base for assistance but were unable to successfully transition to the backup generator. No emergency was declared during this period. Following an attempt by the crew to reset the battery system, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The plane struck a rice paddy field approximately 30 km southeast of Tribhuvan Airport, where the impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. There were 14 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
- The flight was subject to deteriorating weather and low visibility during multiple approach attempts.
- A generator failure occurred during the descent to Kathmandu.
- The crew's inability to switch to the secondary generator preceded the loss of control.