What happened
On the morning of the accident, a Dornier 228, registration 9N-AHA, was preparing for a scheduled flight from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to Lukla with 16 passengers and 3 crew members on board. During the taxi phase, the crew performed standard checklists, including setting flaps and verifying booster pumps. As the aircraft lined up on Runway 20, the pilot noted the presence of a bird and decided to adjust the flap setting to position two.
Upon receiving takeoff clearance, the aircraft began its departure roll. During the initial acceleration, the pilot again alerted the crew to the bird's presence. As the aircraft reached approximately 70 knots, the crew initiated rotation; however, the aircraft failed to lift off immediately, briefly lowering its nose before ascending at 86 knots. After the landing gear was retracted, the aircraft reached an altitude of 100 feet, but its airspeed began to decay from 89 knots down to 77 knots.
While maintaining level flight for approximately 14 seconds, the airspeed continued to drop to 69 knots. During this period, the aircraft's heading drifted from 200 degrees to 173 degrees, and the stall warning activated intermittently. Following a period of deceleration, the aircraft entered a gentle descent with the stall warning sounding, followed by a rapid left-hand turn. The aircraft subsequently departed controlled flight and impacted an open area located 420 meters southeast of the runway end.
Findings
An inspection of the runway area revealed the remains of a Black Kite near the takeoff intersection. The investigation suggests that the bird strike was the primary factor leading to the loss of airspeed and the subsequent aerodynamic stall and crash.