Tribhuvan international Airport (TIA) Civil Aviation authority (CAAN) office has released press release about today’s crash of Summit air at Lukla that claimed life of 3.
A Summit Air LET 410 aircraft ‘9N-AMH’ preparing for take-off collided with a Manang Air’s B3e Helicopter ‘9N-ALC’ on the upper helipad of Lukla Airport early in the new year morning.
In the incident, both the aircraft and helicopter were fully damaged while another helicopter of Shree airlines with call sign ‘9N-ALK’ suffered slight damage. First Officer inside Summit Air and a police personnel near helipad died on the spot.
Captain R. B. Rokaya inside the Summit Air, captain from Manang Air aircraft Capt. C. B. Gurung and another police official were rushed to Kathmandu Grande Hospital with a Simrik Air’s Helicopter where the police personnel breathed his last.
Summit Air had only three crew on board for the misfortuned flight that could never take off. Cabin Crew from Summit Air also had injuries.
The dead bodies have been brought to Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu by Kailash Helicopter.
Summit Air preparing for take-off during its take off roll suddenly veered to the right off the runway plummeting into a Manang Air helicopter with captain onboard the helicopter, and dragging both the aircraft down to the lower helipad.
The eyewitnesses described that the aircraft might have gone technical with ‘Rudder Locked’ due to which a sudden right steering was it observed as the Summit Air aircraft rolled for take-off. As a result it straightly went to hit the helicopter being parked in the upper helipad. There then both the aircraft plummeted into the lower helipad with flames.
