What happened
During an approach to Kathmandu, the flight crew initiated a descent amidst challenging meteorological conditions. While navigating toward the airport, the pilots committed a navigational error that led the aircraft into an incorrect valley, deviating from the intended approach path.
As the aircraft approached a mountain, the pilot-in-command attempted an abrupt maneuver to avoid the terrain. However, this sudden turn resulted in an aerodynamic stall because the aircraft was traveling at an insufficient airspeed. The plane subsequently struck a rocky slope, leading to the total destruction of the airframe. There were 20 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary factor was a navigational error executed by the flying crew. Additionally, the reduced visibility brought about by poor weather conditions served as a contributing element to the sequence of events leading to the crash.