Nepal forms panel to investigate fatal air crash =

Kathmandu (dpa) - The government formed a panel to investigate the Nepal Airlines crash that killed all 18 people aboard, authorities said Tuesday.

The Twin Otter plane was on a domestic flight when it crashed with 18 people on board in bad weather Sunday, in Masinalekh village of Argakhanchi district.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the panel was headed by its former director general Tri Ratna Manandhar. A pilot, an aeronautical engineer and the secretary of Civil Aviation Ministry are also on  the team, which is expected to submit a report within two months.

The bodies of the crash victims were to be handed over to relatives after autopsy on Tuesday. The body of a Danish passenger would be handed over to the Denmark Embassy in Kathmandu.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after takeoff, as it was en route from the western lake city of Pokhara to Jumla in the north.

The Kathmandu Post daily quoted aviation experts as saying the 43-year old Canadian-built plane did not have de-icing capability, which might have contributed to the crash.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

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The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Thomas Long
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
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2ND LEAD: Bodies of all 18 Nepal air crash victims retrieved

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Fixes typo in graf 1; releads with bodies being airlifted, quotes authorities =

Kathmandu (dpa) - The bodies of 18 people killed in a plane crash in western Nepal at the weekend were retrieved and sent to the capital Kathmandu on Monday, authorities said.

The Nepal Airlines Twin Otter plane was on a domestic flight when it crashed with 18 people on board in bad weather Sunday, in Masinalekh village of Argakhanchi district.

“All 18 bodies were recovered and have been airlifted to Kathmandu. They will be sent to the Teaching Hospital first, for post-mortem,” said district officer Sagar Mani Pathak.

“The Civil Aviation Authority has taken control of the black box and will be forwarding it for investigation.”

The recovery of the bodies was delayed because the crash site was on a high hillside, with no place for helicopters to land nearby.
Rescuers had difficulty reaching the site in heavy snow.

The aviation authority said there were 14 adult passengers, one child and three crew on the plane. One of the passengers was from Denmark, and the rest were Nepalese.

Among those killed were a teacher, a journalist, army officer, government officials, and a nurse along with her 4-year-old son.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after takeoff. The authority said it had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north. The country had been hit by heavy snow and rain over a period of four days.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Sean Sampson
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
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LEAD: Sixteen bodies recovered from Nepal plane crash site

Eds: Releads with rescuers reaching site, bodies recovered, quotes authorities =

Kathmandu (dpa) - Sixteen bodies were recovered Monday from an aeroplane that crashed with 18 people aboard in western Nepal, police said.

Rescue teams of police and soldiers arrived in the morning at the crash site in Masinalekh village of Argakhanchi district.

“We have recovered 16 bodies so far. Not all are in a condition in which they can be identified. We managed to land a small helicopter about 200 metres from the crash site and are trying to collect the bodies,” police officer Bam Bahadur Bhandari said by phone from the crash site.

The Nepal Airlines Twin Otter plane was on a domestic flight when it went missing with 18 people on board in bad weather Sunday.

Argakhanchi district officer Sagar Mani Pathak said the crash site was on a high hill covered by heavy snow, which made it difficult for rescuers to reach.

“Technically, I can’t say what might have gone wrong, but so far it appears like the bad weather could have caused the crash,” Bhandari said.

He said the bodies would be airlifted to Kathmandu.

“We’re still trying to find a place where we can land the army’s rescue helicopter. The crash site is steep, where it is difficult for helicopters to land.”

About 100 rescuers had arrived at the location.

The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said there were 14 adult passengers, one infant and three crew on the plane. One of the passengers was from  Denmark, and the rest were Nepalese.

Avenues TV said all 18 bodies had been recovered.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after takeoff. The authority said it had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north. Nepal had been hit by heavy snow and rain over a period of four days.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Thomas Long
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
dpa pt tlo ses

Missing plane located in Nepal, rescuers headed toward site =

Kathmandu (dpa) - The wreckage of a Nepal Airlines plane that went missing with 18 people on board was located in the western region of the country Monday, the military said.

The crash site is in Arghakanchi district’s Masinalekh village, army spokesman Jagdish Pokharel said, and soldiers were en route to the spot.

The Twin Otter craft was on a domestic flight when it went missing Sunday in bad weather with 14 adult passengers, one infant and three crew. The Civil Aviation Authority said one passenger was from Denmark and the rest were Nepalese.

Searchers had difficulty reaching the suspected crash site due to heavy snow and rain.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after take-off, after the pilot said he was diverting due to poor visibility.

In 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has recorded more than  70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [list of occupants on website of digital newspaper Setopati] (http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Thomas Long
Tel: +66 2 7142073; <englishservice@dpa.com>
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3RD LEAD: Rescuers search for crashed plane in Nepal: 18 feared dead

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Recasts with quote from army officer =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepal Airlines plane crashed in the north-west of the country during bad weather on Sunday, prompting fears that all 18 occupants were killed, but rescuers could not reach the presumed impact site in a forest.

The Twin Otter craft was on a domestic flight in poor visibility. The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said one of the people on board was from Denmark. The rest were Nepalese.

The search was mounted in Arghakhanchi district after villagers there reported they had seen a fire in the nearby forest.

"The army's rescue helicopters haven't been able to land due to bad weather at the suspected crash site," Nepal Army spokesman Jagdish Pokharel said, but security personnel were headed to the site on foot.

The occupants comprised 14 adult passengers, a minor and three crew. An online newspaper, Setopati, published the occupant list.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after take off. The Civil Aviation Authority said the Twin Otter had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north. Nepal had been hit by heavy snow and rain over a period of three days.

Nepal has a poor aviation safety record. Last year, the European Union blacklisted Nepal's airlines on the grounds of unsatisfactory safety standards. In its 60 years of aviation history, Nepal has seen over 70 crashes in which more than 700 people have died.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of occupants](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Jean-Baptiste Piggin
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt jbp

2ND LEAD: Nepal plane with 18 crashes, rescuers unable to reach site

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Recasts with quote from district officer and nationalities =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepal Airlines plane with 18 occupants crashed Sunday in bad weather in the north-west of the country, but rescuers have been unable to reach the presumed site in a forest and details remained sketchy.

The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority said one of the people on board was from Denmark. The rest were Nepalese. The persons on board the flight had comprised 14 adult passengers, a minor and three crew.

An online newspaper, Setopati, published the flight manifest.

Contact with the plane was lost 33 minutes after take off. The Civil Aviation Authority said the Twin Otter craft operated by Nepal Airlines had left the western lake city of Pokhara and was bound for Jumla in the north.

"Villagers in Arghakhanchi's Dhaaba village said they saw fire in the nearby forest," said Kamal Dhakal, a chief district officer. "We haven't been able to reach the location due to bad weather."

Arghakanchi district borders on Gulmi district, where officer Dhakal is based.

Security personnel were being deployed to the area, but bad weather was hampering rescue operations. A plane carrying a search crew could not land because of the weather. In the past three days, Nepal has been hit by heavy snow and rain.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

## Internet
- [Setopati: list of passengers](http://dpaq.de/q1LrU)

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Jean-Baptiste Piggin
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt ar jbp

LEAD: Plane with 18 on board crashes in north-western Nepal

By Pratibha Tuladhar, dpa
Eds: Recasts with confirmation of crash, increases number on board, changes slug =

Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepal Airlines plane with 18 people on board crashed Sunday in the north-west of the country, the Civil Aviation Authority said.

The plane was flying in bad weather. It lost contact 33 minutes after take off.

On board were 15 passengers and three crew members. It crashed in a forest in the district of Arghakanchi in north-western Nepal.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the Twin Otter craft operated by Nepal Airlines took off from the western lake city of Pokhara, and was on its way to Jumla in the north.

Security personnel were being deployed to the area. Another flight with search crew could not land because of bad weather.

In the past three days, Nepal has been hit by heavy snowfall and rain.

# dpa NOTEBOOK

* * * *
The following information is not for publication

## dpa Contacts
- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
- Editing by: Anindita Ramaswamy
Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; <englishservice@dpa.com>

dpa pt ar

Nepali pilot reported warning light problem before crash

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The pilot of a Nepalese passenger plane that crashed into a mountain reported a problem with a warning light as he was about to land and decided to divert the plane, the Civil Aviation Authority said Tuesday.

   Prabhu Saran Pathak, who died in Monday's crash in north-western Nepal, told air traffic control that he feared the wheels of his Dornier Do228 turboprop might not unlock because of the problem, the aviation regulator said.

   The flight was about to land at Jomsom in the Mustang district, 360 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu, when Pathak decided to return to Pokhara, where the Agni Air flight carrying 21 people originated. As the German-made plane was making a sharp turn, its wing and nose hit a mountain near Jomsom airport, the authority said.

   Six on board survived: an Indian man, two Indian children, a Danish couple and a Nepali flight attendant.

   All but the Indian man were in stable condition at a Pokhara hospital. Tirumala Kidambi Sreekanth was in critical condition.

   The plane had been chartered by a local travel agency. Most of those on board were Indian nationals who were going to the Hindu temple of Muktinath in Jomsom, which is also a gateway to a number of trekking routes.

   Nepal has a poor air safety record. Seventy-one air crashes have been reported in the mountainous country's aviation history, which began in 1953, according to government statistics. More than 600 people have died in the crashes.

   Monday's accident was the fifth in the Jomsom region.
dpa pt lns ses
Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

3RD LEAD: 15 killed when plane crashes into Nepal mountain, 6 survive

Eds: Updates with quotes from survivor, Indian minister =
   Kathmandu (dpa) - Fifteen people were killed in a plane crash Monday at an airport in north-western Nepal, authorities said.
   Thirteen Indian nationals and two Nepalis died in the crash.
   One Indian adult and two children survived, along with two Danish nationals and a Nepali air hostess, police officer Rajendra Singh Bhandari said.
   The German made Donier Do 228 operated by Agni Air was carrying 21 people, 16 of them Indians. The survivors were airlifted to Pokhara.
   The Indians were traveling to Hindu pilgrimage site Muktinath, in the Mustang district. Jomsom is also a gateway to several trekking routes.
   A Danish woman who survived said "the wing hit the mountain" prior to the crash, the Danish newspaper Ekstrabladet reported.
   "We flew very low and very close to a mountain. Suddenly the wing hit the mountain and we crashed," Emilie Jorgensen of Copenhagen was quoted as saying.
   "We were thrown around. All the seats were loose and we were squeezed by seats and bodies," Jorgensen added. "There wasn't much panic, but you heard some cries."
   Jorgensen, 29, and her partner Andreas Rasch survived without any broken bones.
   Pratap Babu Tiwari, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority in Pokhara, said the plane had returned to the Jomsom Airport shortly after taking off. It crashed into a mountain surrounding the narrow airstrip while attempting to land.
   “I would like to convey my deep condolences to the families of all those who have lost their lives in this accident," Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said.
   Aviation authorities said the crew had informed the airport tower of technical problems and requested permission to return.
   Nepal has a poor air safety record. Government statistics record 71 air crashes in the mountainous country's aviation history that began in 1953, killing more than 600 people. Monday's accident was the fifth in the Jomsom region.
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2ND LEAD: 15 killed when plane crashes into Nepal mountain, 6 survive

Eds: Updates number, nationalities of dead and injured =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - An aircraft crashed Monday into a mountain as it was trying to land at an airport in north-western Nepal, killing 15 people, authorities said. Six survived.

   The crew of the turboprop operated by Agni Air said it was having technical difficulties shortly after taking off from Jomsom Airport in the Mustang district, said Pratap Babu Tiwari, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority in Pokhara, the plane's destination.

   The German-made Donier Do-228 was returning to the Jomson Airport when it crashed into a mountain near the narrow airstrip, he said.

   Sixteen of those on board were Indians en route to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Muktinath in the Mustang district. Jomsom is also a gateway to several trekking routes.

   Thirteen of the Indians were killed. One adult and two girls survived. The other survivors were two Danish nationals and a Nepali flight attendant, police officer Rajendra Singh Bhandari said.

   The survivors were airlifted to Pokhara.

   Two Nepali crew members also died.

   Nepal has a poor air safety record. Government statistics record 71 crashes in the mountainous country's aviation history, which began in 1953. More than 600 people were killed in the accidents.
dpa pt lns tlo
Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

15 killed in Nepal air crash

   Kathmandu (dpa) - An aircraft carrying 21 people crashed Monday at an airport in north-western Nepal, killing 15, authorities said.

   Three children, two foreigners and a Nepali flight attendant were among those rescued. Six survivors were being airlifted to Pokhara, according to Pratap Babu Tiwari, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority.

   Twelve Indian nationals were among those killed.

   “Out of 21, 15 have been killed,” police officer Rajendra Singh Bhandari said, who was leading the rescue operation. “There are 11 men and four women among the dead.”

   The authority said the Agni Air plane had returned to the Jomsom Airport shortly after taking off. It crashed into a mountain surrounding the narrow airstrip while attempting to land.

   Bhandari said the survivors had been airlifted to Pokhara. The army, police and local residents were helping with rescue efforts.
Nepal has a poor aviation record. Government statistics record 71 air crashes in Nepal’s aviation history, that killed over 600 people.
dpa