1 fatality

1998-11-19: Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter) (9N-ABK) — Royal Nepal Airlines — Namche Bazar, Nepal

Namche Bazar, NepalLanding (descent or approach)

On November 19, 1998, a Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter) (registration 9N-ABK) operated by Royal Nepal Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Namche Bazar, Nepal during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled flight into terrain. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781204754Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot on a positioning flight from Kathmandu to Namche Bazar was killed when his aircraft struck a mountain slope after encountering deteriorating weather and cloud cover.

Accident Overview

The pilot, sole occupant of the aircraft, departed Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport on a positioning flight to Namche Bazar to pick up passengers. During the pre-flight briefing, he was informed of good weather conditions along the route and at the destination. However, en route, weather conditions deteriorated. Upon arrival, clouds were present up to 3,600 metres.

Sequence of Events

The pilot made several circuits expecting weather improvement. A few minutes later, he observed a hole in the clouds and initiated a descent. During the descent, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Kongri Himal, located 3 km north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed in the impact.

Casualties and Damage

The pilot was killed in the accident. The aircraft was destroyed.

Official Findings

The probable cause of the accident was determined to be controlled flight into terrain.