VIDEO - Nepal: Two Helicopters Collide a Few Meters Above Ground Near Everest, One Dead and Three Injured

A terrible air accident occurred this Tuesday morning in Nepal, in the Everest region. Two helicopters belonging to the companies Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided while attempting to land at the Pheriche heliport, in the Solukhumbu district. The impact caused both aircraft to crash. A 47-year-old Indian tourist was killed and three others were injured, including the two pilots.

The two helicopters collided just before touching the ground

The accident occurred around 8:12 a.m. local time, on a landing area situated at approximately 4,370 meters altitude, in a mountainous region heavily frequented by climbers and hikers.

The two aircraft, AS350 helicopters, were arriving from different directions. The Fishtail Air helicopter, registered 9N-AJR, had taken off from Gorakshep with two foreign tourists on board. The second, operated by Air Dynasty under registration 9N-AOD, was coming from Lukla and was carrying cargo.

Videos of the accident show the two helicopters approaching the landing area simultaneously. While flying a few meters above the ground, their flight paths crossed and the blades of their rotors came into contact. Both aircraft then crashed onto the snowy terrain, in front of several people nearby.

One Indian tourist killed instantly, three people injured

The victim was identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, a 47-year-old Indian national from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter and died at the scene of the accident.

Another passenger on the same aircraft, Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealand national of Indian origin, was injured. The Fishtail Air pilot was also hurt. Both were evacuated by helicopter to Nepal Mediciti Hospital in the Kathmandu region.

The pilot of the Air Dynasty aircraft was also injured. He was treated at Nicole Niquille Hospital in Lukla, where his condition was reported as stable. The body of the deceased tourist was also transported to Lukla.

Possible miscommunication between pilots

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the collision.

Mukesh Dangol, director general of the agency, mentioned a possible failure in coordination between the two aircraft. He explained that the Pheriche area was out of range of the Lukla airport control tower, which forced the pilots to communicate directly with each other to coordinate their maneuvers.

The official indicated that initial findings suggested miscommunication between the pilots. Investigators have begun collecting their testimonies to reconstruct the final seconds before impact.

A region where helicopters are essential for rescue operations

Pheriche is located on one of the main routes used to reach the Everest base camp. In this part of the Himalayas, helicopters provide transport for tourists, climbers, supplies, and medical evacuations.

The lack of roads and altitude-related difficulties make these aircraft particularly important for rescue operations. Last June, a climber was notably found alive after six days spent near 8,000 meters altitude, highlighting the challenges of rescue in the massif.

Nepal has already experienced several deadly air disasters. In July 2024, a Saurya Airlines plane crashed in Kathmandu, killing 18. An official investigation later established that an error regarding takeoff speed contributed to the accident.

Regarding this Tuesday’s collision, Nepalese authorities must now examine communications between the two pilots, their respective flight paths, and the conditions under which they attempted to land on the same heliport.