Two helicopters have collided near Mount Everest, killing one person and injuring three others, according to officials.
The collision happened at about 8:11 AM local time on Tuesday, November 3, at the Pheriche helipad in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district. The village sits at roughly 13,780 feet (about 4,200 meters), more than 1,000 meters below Everest Base Camp.
A 47-year-old tourist from India was killed, according to Bhupendra Thapa, an officer with the Solukhumbu district administration.
What happened?
Reports say the two helicopters, operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty, collided while both were trying to land at the helipad. Video of the incident has circulated on social media.
The Fishtail Air helicopter was arriving from the Everest region with two foreign passengers. One of them, the Indian tourist, died. The other, a New Zealand resident, was injured and taken to Kathmandu for hospital treatment.
The Air Dynasty helicopter was on a cargo flight from Lukla and had no passengers on board. Both pilots, who are Nepali, were injured. The Fishtail Air pilot was airlifted to Kathmandu, while the Air Dynasty pilot was treated nearby.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) identified the aircraft as an Air Dynasty helicopter, registration 9N-AOD, and a Fishtail Air helicopter, registration 9N-AJR. Both are part of the Airbus AS350 family, a widely used series of single-engine helicopters designed for passenger transport, aerial work, and operations in demanding environments.
Why was it so busy?
Officials said the weather had improved after heavy snow covered the trekking routes, allowing thousands of trekkers to move around again. That meant more people than usual in the area. There are no roads on the mountain, so helicopters are the only way to transport trekkers who become unwell. With more people hiking, there were more aircraft in the sky than usual.
This is also the most popular time of year for the trek. The rainy season has just ended and the harsh winter months haven’t yet begun. The hike to Everest Base Camp, at 17,380 feet, takes around two weeks from Lukla, which has the only airstrip in the area.
What could have contributed?
Investigators haven’t said what caused the crash. Flying at high altitude requires great care, because thin air reduces the lift available from helicopter rotors and affects engine performance. Harsh mountain weather and confined landing areas can add to the challenge. It’s not yet known whether any of these played a part.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the person who died.
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