Two pilots have been confirmed dead after Makalu Air Cessa 208B Grand Caravan went missing for four hours and crashed at the mountainside of Simikot Pass at an altitude of 12,800 feet.
Wreckage of Makalu Air’s Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ‘9N-AJU’
The aircraft took off from Surkhet at 06:15 hours local time on a domestic cargo flight to Simikot, where it was scheduled arrive at 06:55.
The bodies of the pilots are being airlifted to Surkhet and then to Kathmandu. Pilot Kiran Bhattarai and Copilot Adhitya Nepali were on board the cargo aircraft.
The authorities said that the cause of the crash is unknown and the necessary investigations will be initiated soon. This is yet another tragic moment for the Nepali aviation as two competent pilots have been lost and the safe flight operation will be questioned once again.
