Nepal Now / News / Archive 2016
Tara Air enroute Pokhara-Jomsom crashes killing all 23 on board
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Nepalnow.org extends heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the families of the passengers and crew on board the Tara Air flight enroute Pokhara-Jomsom. #9N-AHH
Tara Air Viking 9N-AHH Twin Otter plane flying from Pokhara to Jomsom with 20 passengers and three crew members on board, crashed at a forest in Soli Ghoptebhir of Myagdi district this morning. Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Tara Bahadur Karki confirmed that all 23 on board were killed in the crash.
Yeti Airlines, parent company of Tara Air, made the passenger list of the flight public confirming the presence of two foreigners and two infants on board. The foreign passengers were Mak Siu Ying of China and Ralfashed Ahamed of Kuwait.
20 passengers were on board :Pokhara to Jomsom With Captain Roshan Manandhar, f/o Dikesh Nemkul and Crew Rama Raut pic.twitter.com/ncgoza3kWz
— Yeti Airlines (@FlyYeti) February 24, 2016
The plane took off from Pokhara Airport at 7:50 am having been cleared for departure by the control tower at Pokhara Airport.
“See you back. Ghorepani normal, good day,” were the last words from Captain Roshan Manandhar to Pokhara Air Traffic Control before the plane lost contact over the airspace of Myagdi.
After repeated efforts to establish contact with the plane from both Pokhara and Jomsom airport failed, three helicopters were dispatched on a search and rescue mission as confirmed by Yeti Airlines.
We have departed three helicopters on a search and rescue mission and will update you soon #9N-AHH , Tara Air Management
— Yeti Airlines (@FlyYeti) February 24, 2016
It is not yet known what caused the crash with speculation pointing towards the bad weather. Yeti Airlines also tweeted out that the concerned aircraft was a new model with less than 300 hours of flying time.
Missing Tara Air aircraft is a factory new DHC 6-400 with less than total flying time of 300 hours. 9N-AHH
— Yeti Airlines (@FlyYeti) February 24, 2016
Brigadier Karki confirmed that a team of Nepal Army have located and reached the crash site. So far the search team has located the wing and tail section of the plane. The search for the fuselage where the passengers are located is still ongoing.