Kathmandu (dpa) – Nepal’s civil aviation authorities said Thursday that the plane crash that killed all 19 people on board last week was caused by an eagle.
Officials told a press conference that an eagle weighing around three kilos had hit the Donier aircraft, causing the crash.
The authorities had previously suggested that the most likely cause of the was that the pilots attempted to return to the capital's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) after a collision with an bird shortly after take-off.
On Sunday, the government said the Bird Control Committee, which ensures the removal of birds from the airport vicinity, had been activated.
Nepal's aviation safety record has come under heavy criticism following the crash.
Local newspapers and analysts have said not enough was being done to ensure flight safety in the Himalayan country.
Seven Britons, four Chinese, an US citizen of Chinese origin and seven Nepalis were killed in the crash last Friday.
The Dornier aircraft, operated by Sita Air, was heading from Kathmandu to the Mount Everest region, in the north-east of the country. The bodies are badly burnt and still awaiting identification.
Nepal has witnessed 74 aviation accidents that have left more than 700 people dead since 1949.
dpa pt mat
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