Yeti Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 plane crash
Lukla, Nepal
Updated on
The DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 belonging to Yeti Airlines took off from Katmandu, Nepal, on a domestic flight to Lukla in Nepal's Everest region. 16 passengers
and 3 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed and caught fire on landing, killing 18 people. The captain was the only survivor.
Weather conditions were reported as poor as the Twin Otter came in to land, with low visibility and heavy clouds. Seconds before landing, the landing gear
of the plane snagged a security fence, causing it to crash and burst into flames. The plane ended close to the sloping runway of Lukla airport, completely
destroyed and burnt.
The Lukla airport is best-known as the gateway to Nepal's Everest region, a popular destination for thousands of climbers and trekkers every year. Lukla
Airport has a single runway, 06/24 which is situated at an elevation of 9380 feet (2860 meters). The 1600 feet (490 meters) long bitumen runway has an
upslope of 11,75°. Bad weather at the airport frequently halts operations.
Yeti Airlines is currently on the blacklist of airlines banned from flying in the European Union.