Air Dynasty chopper crashes in Nuwakot, all 5 aboard killed

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 8: A pilot and four Chinese nationals were killed in a private helicopter crash in Shivapuri Rural Municipality-7 in Nuwakot, near Kathmandu, on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Tribhuvan International Airport’s Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, all five on board have been killed in the crash.

Subash Jha, Spokesperson for the Tribhuvan International Airport, confirmed that the 9N-AJD chopper belonging to Air Dynasty that took off from Kathmandu at 1:54 pm for Syabrubesi of Rasuwa district met with the crash.

The chopper was piloted by Captain Arun Malla. The chopper lost its contact with the TIA tower within three minutes of its takeoff, according to a statement issued by the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of the TIA. 

The deceased Chinese nationals include -- Tang Jutao, Wu Yijao, Le Jie and Xie Zemin.

According to Jha, the crash site is located in Suryachour, Nuwakot. He said that as soon as the crash report was confirmed, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has sent a Prabhu Helicopter’s chopper with registration number 9N-ANL for the rescue efforts. 

Bal Krishna Pandit, manager of Air Dynasty, said that the helicopter was carrying Chinese tourists from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi. 

The bodies recovered from the crash site were airlifted to Kathmandu and taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, for postmortem, according to SP Shanti Ram Bhattarai of the District Police Office, Nuwakot.

The hospital will conduct the postmortem of the bodies only from Thursday, according to the hospital administration.

Govt forms probe commission 

The government has formed a three-member probe commission to investigate the Air Dynasty helicopter crash.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, talking to the media after the Cabinet meeting, said that an emergency meeting of the government on Wednesday decided to form the commission headed by senior pilot Subash Thapa of the Nepali Army.

The members of the commission include Tanuja Pokhrel and Bishnu Basnet. The committee has been given a period of 30 days, said Minister Gurung, who is also the government spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed sorrow over the Air Dynasty helicopter crash in Nuwakot. 

Prime Minister Oli, who was in a pre-scheduled meeting with officials from the Valley Mayors’ Forum at Singha Durbar, shortened the meeting with the mayors with a heavy heart after learning about the accident.

Prime Minister Oli said that it was tragic to have another air accident just a fortnight after the previous one. Following the crash report, the Prime Minister called an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar.