VFR Flight to Jomsom Ends in CFIT Due to Weather and Spatial Disorientation (9N-AHH)

Flight Plan and Initial Operations On February 23, 2016, a flight plan was submitted for a visual flight rules (VFR) operation to Jomsom (VNJS) scheduled for February 24. The plan specified an estimated off-block time of 01:00, a cruising speed of 150 knots, a level of 10,500 ft, and a direct track. Bhairahawa (VNBW) and Pokhara (VNPK) were designated as the first and second alternates, with an estimated elapsed time of 20 minutes and fuel endurance of 2 hours 30 minutes. At 01:55, the first officer contacted Pokhara tower for weather at Jomsom and Bhairahawa. Jomsom reported 8 km visibility towards Lete and partially visible foothills. After a brief discussion about the conditions, the crew completed the before-start checklist and began start-up. At 02:00, the first officer requested taxi clearance, and ATC instructed a change to runway 22 instead of runway 04. During taxiing, the captain expressed concern about the runway change due to the weather but did not communicate this to ATC. The first officer, who had been briefed to fly, made a normal take-off at 02:04.