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Last updated: 20 March 2019
Status:Preliminary
Date:Wednesday 8 October 2008
Time:07:31
Type:Silhouette image of generic DHC6 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Operator:Yeti Airlines
Registration: 9N-AFE
C/n / msn: 720
First flight: 1980
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 16
Total:Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) (   Nepal)
Crash site elevation: 2859 m (9380 feet) amsl
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM/VNKT), Nepal
Destination airport:Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA/VNLK), Nepal
Narrative:
The aircraft took off from Kathmandu Airport at 06.51 on a domestic flight to Lukla (LUA). Lukla Airport has a single runway, 06/24 which is situated at an elevation of 9380 feet. The 1600 feet long bitumen runway has an upslope of 11,75°. Runway 06 can only be used for landing.
Visibility was reported as poor as the Twin Otter came in to land. It contacted rocks near the runway, crashed and caught fire. The captain was the only survivor.
According to a member of the government investigating panel, "The crew made incorrect judgment of information on deteriorating weather condition and flew the aircraft into a patch of cloud."

Sources:
» Yeti Airlines
» Nepalnews
» Hemant Arjyal
» Pilot blamed for air crash near Everest (The Age, 1-1-2009)


Photos

photo of de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 9N-AFE
Memory plaque
photo of de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 9N-AFE
9N-AFE pictured here just two weeks before the accident
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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport to Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport as the crow flies is 134 km (84 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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DHC-6 Twin Otter

  • 930+ built
  • 255th loss
  • 167th fatal accident
  • 18th worst accident (at the time)
  • 20th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 Nepal
  • 9th worst accident (at the time)
  • 14th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile