Accident | |
---|---|
Date | February 24, 2016 |
Summary | Crashed |
Site | Dana, Myagdi district |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 built by Viking Air |
Operator | Tara Air |
Registration | 9N-AHH |
Flight origin | Pokhara |
Destination | Jomsom |
Passengers | 20 |
Crew | 3 |
Fatalities | 23 (all) |
Survivors | 0 |
Tara Air Flight 193 (TA 193) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that crashed on 24 February 2016, while flying from Pokhara Airport in Pokhara, Nepal, to Jomsom Airport in Jomsom. The aircraft, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter registration 9N-AHH, went missing with 23 people on board.[1][2][3]
The crash site was found near Dana village, Myagdi district, with all on board killed.[4]
Aircraft
The aircraft was previously registered with Viking Air with the tailcode C-GUVT, and was built in 2012.[5] It was later transferred to Tara Air and re-registered as 9N-AHH.
Passengers
There were 20 passengers on board. 18 were from Nepal, one from Hong Kong, and one from Kuwait.[6] Two of the passengers were children.[7]
Country | Passengers | Crew | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Nepal | 18 | 3 | 21 |
Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Kuwait | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 20 | 3 | 23 |
Crash
The aircraft took of from Pokahra at 7:50 AM local time. The normal flight duration of the route is only 18 minutes. It lost contact with the control tower at Pokhara 10 minutes after takeoff[6], and was found crashed at Tirkhe Dhunga, Dana VDC of Myagdi district at 1:25 PM by a police team deployed from Dana Police Post.[7] Tara Air reported that the weather at both origin and destination airports was favourable.
Rescue and recovery efforts
Helicopters scoured the route for hours, but rescue efforts were slowed down by poor weather conditions. The wreckage was found burning after impacting a mountain side, with charred bodies visible inside.[8] Bishwa Raj Khadka, the district Chief of Police,[9] stated that personnel involved in the rescue operations have recovered 17 bodies from the crash site.[10]
Investigation
A high level probe panel is being formed to investigate the crash.[11] Aviation minister Aananda Prasad Pokhrel stated that the plane was scattered across an area approximately 200 metres wide.[12][13]
References
- ^ "Missing Tara Air plane with 23 onboard could have crashed in Myagdi's Rupse". The Kathmandu Post. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ Hradecky, Simon (24 February 2016). "Accident: Tara DHC6 near Pokhara on Feb 24th 2016, aircraft missing enroute". Aviation Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Plane crash feared in Nepal as flight carrying 21 goes missing in mountains". The Guardian. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle' amid fears no one survived". 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Aircraft Registration Database Lookup". Airframes.org. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Nepal small passenger plane wreckage found". BBC News. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ a b "23 confirmed dead in Myagdi plane crash - The Himalayan Times". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Nepal plane crash: All 23 on board killed as Tara Air flight crashes into Himalayan mountain". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Missing Tara Air plane found crashed in Myagdi (UPDATE)". setopati.net. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "All 23 onboard Tara Air dead, 17 bodies recovered". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Crash: Tara DHC6 near Pokhara on Feb 24th 2016, aircraft impacted terrain". avherald.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Chances of finding Tara Air passengers alive slim: Nepal Army". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ^ "Missing Nepal Tara Air passenger plane 'found crashed in jungle'". The Independent. Retrieved 2016-02-24.