Nepal's sad history of aviation disasters: A timeline of deadly plane crashes in the Himalayan nation

At least 68&nbsp;people were killed after a&nbsp;passenger airplane with 72 people on board&nbsp;crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday (January 15) minutes before&nbsp;its scheduled landing, reported AFP. The officially declared death toll stands&nbsp;at 68 currently. It was a Yeti Airlines flight. Rescue operations were still underway at the time of the filing of this report and the airport had been closed. The condition of the four remaining flyers was not known yet. There were 68 passengers and four crew members, including two pilots and two airhostesses on the plane. Those on board included three infants and three children. There were five Indians on the flight among the 15 foreigners on the flight. 
 
The flight had taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to Pokhara. The plane crashed minutes before landing, broke and caught fire which was doused later. &nbsp;

A press statement by the&nbsp;Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal informed that there were&nbsp;53 passengers from Nepal, 5 from India, 4 from Russian, 2 from Korea,&nbsp;and one each from Ireland, Australia,&nbsp;Argentina and&nbsp;France on the flight.&nbsp;

Pokhara,&nbsp;one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal, is famous for its natural beauty, and for being the gateway to the Annapurna region and&nbsp;is about 200 kilometres from Nepalese capital Kathmandu.&nbsp; 
 
ATR identified the crashed plane as an ATR 72-500. According to plane tracking data from flightradar24.com, the aircraft was 15 years old and “equipped with an old transponder with unreliable data.”

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda and Home Minister Ravi Lamichane were&nbsp;at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu overseeing the rescue effort. 
 
The Nepal government formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara.&nbsp;The emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers also announced a public holiday on January 16 to mourn the victims of the crash.&nbsp; 
 
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel said that the government has decided to observe one day of mourning.

<img alt="Nepal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="07fea2a0-9adc-4189-8fba-78ef932c1c34" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-01-15%20at%2012.38.54.jpeg" />

(Image: ANI)

 
“The incident was tragic. All forces have been deployed for rescue (operations). The investigation is going on now. I have called an emergency cabinet meeting, and I&nbsp;am going to the cabinet meeting,” Prachanda&nbsp;told the media earlier.

As per the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am.&nbsp;

The aircraft crashed while it was trying to land at Pokhara airport. It crashed on the bank of the Seti river between the old airport and the new one.

"So far, dead bodies of 68 people have been recovered from the crash site," an official at the Search and Rescue Coordination Committee of the CAAN told the news agency PTI over the phone.&nbsp;However, the dead bodies are yet to be identified, he added.&nbsp; 
 
The five Indians have been identified as Sanjay Jaiswal, Sonu Jaiswal, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Abhishek Kushwaha and Vishal Sharma.&nbsp;

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the helpline numbers of the Indian Embassy in Nepal in a tweet and said,&nbsp;“Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families.”

Plane crashes are common in Nepal, which has a poor flight safety record. 
 
Nepali airlines are banned from European Union airspace since 2013 after eight Britons were killed in a Kathmandu plane crash. 
 
In May 2022, all the 22 people, including four Indians, onboard a Tara Air flight on a Canadian-built turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane were killed after it had crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district after departing from Pokhara. 
 
The Yeti Air crash on Sunday was the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 had crashed. On September 28, 1992, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 268 had crashed while approaching Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM). All 167 passengers and crew were killed, making it the deadliest ever crash involving PIA and the worst crash in the history of Nepalese aviation.

Nepal, a Himalayan country, has some of the world's most remote and trickiest runways. Many of these are located between high, snow-capped mountain peaks, something that throws up challenges for even the most experienced pilots.

Nepal's aviation industry has been plagued by poor safety records. Insufficient training and maintenance are said to be the reasons.

Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past.&nbsp;

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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At least 68 people were killed after a passenger airplane with 72 people on board crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday (January 15) minutes before its scheduled landing, reported AFP.

At least 68 people were killed after a passenger airplane with 72 people on board crashed near Pokhara International Airport in Nepal on Sunday (January 15) minutes before its scheduled landing, reported AFP. The officially declared death toll stands at 68 currently. It was a Yeti Airlines flight. Rescue operations were still underway at the time of the filing of this report and the airport had been closed. The condition of the four remaining flyers was not known yet. There were 68 passengers and four crew members, including two pilots and two airhostesses on the plane. Those on board included three infants and three children. There were five Indians on the flight among the 15 foreigners on the flight. The flight had taken off from Kathmandu and was headed to Pokhara. The plane crashed minutes before landing, broke and caught fire which was doused later. A press statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal informed that there were 53 passengers from Nepal, 5 from India, 4 from Russian, 2 from Korea, and one each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France on the flight. Pokhara, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal, is famous for its natural beauty, and for being the gateway to the Annapurna region and is about 200 kilometres from Nepalese capital Kathmandu. ATR identified the crashed plane as an ATR 72-500. According to plane tracking data from flightradar24.com, the aircraft was 15 years old and “equipped with an old transponder with unreliable data.” Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda and Home Minister Ravi Lamichane were at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu overseeing the rescue effort. The Nepal government formed a five-member commission of inquiry to probe the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara. The emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers also announced a public holiday on January 16 to mourn the victims of the crash. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel said that the government has decided to observe one day of mourning. (Image: ANI) “The incident was tragic. All forces have been deployed for rescue (operations). The investigation is going on now. I have called an emergency cabinet meeting, and I am going to the cabinet meeting,” Prachanda told the media earlier. As per the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport at 10:33 am. The aircraft crashed while it was trying to land at Pokhara airport. It crashed on the bank of the Seti river between the old airport and the new one. "So far, dead bodies of 68 people have been recovered from the crash site," an official at the Search and Rescue Coordination Committee of the CAAN told the news agency PTI over the phone. However, the dead bodies are yet to be identified, he added. The five Indians have been identified as Sanjay Jaiswal, Sonu Jaiswal, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, Abhishek Kushwaha and Vishal Sharma. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the helpline numbers of the Indian Embassy in Nepal in a tweet and said, “Deeply grieved on hearing about the air crash in Pokhara, Nepal. Our thoughts are with the affected families.” Plane crashes are common in Nepal, which has a poor flight safety record. Nepali airlines are banned from European Union airspace since 2013 after eight Britons were killed in a Kathmandu plane crash. In May 2022, all the 22 people, including four Indians, onboard a Tara Air flight on a Canadian-built turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane were killed after it had crashed in Nepal’s mountainous Mustang district after departing from Pokhara. The Yeti Air crash on Sunday was the deadliest in Nepal since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 had crashed. On September 28, 1992, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 268 had crashed while approaching Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM). All 167 passengers and crew were killed, making it the deadliest ever crash involving PIA and the worst crash in the history of Nepalese aviation. Nepal, a Himalayan country, has some of the world's most remote and trickiest runways. Many of these are located between high, snow-capped mountain peaks, something that throws up challenges for even the most experienced pilots. Nepal's aviation industry has been plagued by poor safety records. Insufficient training and maintenance are said to be the reasons. Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past. The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Nepal’s worst air crash in 30 years: 68 killed as passenger plane with 72 onboard crashes near Pokhara

Colombia aviation authorities on Monday admitted that errors by the pilot, airline and Bolivian regulators are to blame for the plane crash that killed 71 people last month.

The plane crashed on a wooded hillside near Medellin killing most of Brazil&#39;s Chapecoense soccer team.

Officials said that the pilot had failed to refuel en-route and did not report engine failure until it was too late.

&quot;No technical factor was part of the accident, everything involved human error, added to a management factor in the company&#39;s administration and the management and organisation of the flight plans by the authorities in Bolivia,&quot; Colombia&#39;s secretary for Air Safety Colonel Freddy Bonilla told journalists, news agency Reuters reported.

Bonilla added that the plane was overweight by nearly 400 kilograms. It was also uncertified to fly at the altitude at which the journey took place.

The &quot;conditions for the flight presented in the flight plan that were unacceptable&quot;, aviation authorities in Bolivia accepted.

The Chapecoense soccer team was on it way to its biggest game in history, the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Only three players from the team survived the incident. Two crew members and one reporter also survived.

Colombia&#39;s investigation conclude that the plane&#39;s pilot were directly responsible for the accident. The pilot, co-owner of the LaMia airline, was killed in the crash.

Gustavo Vargas Gamboa, LaMia&#39;s chief executive, was jailed pending trial earlier this month on manslaughter and other charges, which he has denied, Reuters reported.

Criminal charges have also been brought against LaMia co-owner Marco Antonio Rocha Benegas, whose whereabouts are unknown, and air traffic controller Celia Castedo, who fled Bolivia after the crash and is seeking asylum in Brazil.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The pilot failed to refuel en route and did not report engine failures until it was too late, officials said

Colombia aviation authorities on Monday admitted that errors by the pilot, airline and Bolivian regulators are to blame for the plane crash that killed 71 people last month. The plane crashed on a wooded hillside near Medellin killing most of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team. Officials said that the pilot had failed to refuel en-route and did not report engine failure until it was too late. "No technical factor was part of the accident, everything involved human error, added to a management factor in the company's administration and the management and organisation of the flight plans by the authorities in Bolivia," Colombia's secretary for Air Safety Colonel Freddy Bonilla told journalists, news agency Reuters reported. Bonilla added that the plane was overweight by nearly 400 kilograms. It was also uncertified to fly at the altitude at which the journey took place. The "conditions for the flight presented in the flight plan that were unacceptable", aviation authorities in Bolivia accepted. The Chapecoense soccer team was on it way to its biggest game in history, the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Only three players from the team survived the incident. Two crew members and one reporter also survived. Colombia's investigation conclude that the plane's pilot were directly responsible for the accident. The pilot, co-owner of the LaMia airline, was killed in the crash. Gustavo Vargas Gamboa, LaMia's chief executive, was jailed pending trial earlier this month on manslaughter and other charges, which he has denied, Reuters reported. Criminal charges have also been brought against LaMia co-owner Marco Antonio Rocha Benegas, whose whereabouts are unknown, and air traffic controller Celia Castedo, who fled Bolivia after the crash and is seeking asylum in Brazil. (With inputs from Reuters)

'Human error' led to Colombia soccer plane crash

Vesna Vulovic, the air hostess who survived a 10-kilometre fall after her plane exploded in 1972, died at the age of 66. A bomb had been placed in the plane&#39;s baggage hold.&nbsp;

Vulovic was found dead by friends in her Belgrade apartment, Tanjug news agency reported Saturday. The cause of death was not known.&nbsp;

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Vesna was then a 22-year-old flight attendant with Yugoslav airways JAT and the only surviving member of the bombing that crashed her plane over the Czech town of Srbska Kamenice on January 26, 1972.

Twenty-three passengers and five crew members were killed.

Vesna had found herself trapped in the plane&#39;s tail cone and landed on a slope after plunging 10,160 metres (33,300 feet) from the DC-9 aircraft, news agency AFP reported.

Vulovic is in the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the longest fall without a parachute.

She was in a coma for nearly a month after the crash and temporarily paralysed from the waist down.&nbsp;

&quot;My thoughts are always with those who died here,&quot; Vulovic said at a ceremony in 2002 when she returned to the spot where she had landed, reported AFP.

The bomb had been placed on the Stockholm-to-Zagreb flight by a Croatian separatist group.

(With inputs from AFP)

Vesna Vulovic, trapped in the tail cone of the DC-9 aircraft, landed on a slope after plunging 10,160 metres

Vesna Vulovic, the air hostess who survived a 10-kilometre fall after her plane exploded in 1972, died at the age of 66. A bomb had been placed in the plane's baggage hold. Vulovic was found dead by friends in her Belgrade apartment, Tanjug news agency reported Saturday. The cause of death was not known. Vesna was the only surviving member of the January 26, 1972 bombing and crash. Twenty-three passengers and five crew members died × Vesna was then a 22-year-old flight attendant with Yugoslav airways JAT and the only surviving member of the bombing that crashed her plane over the Czech town of Srbska Kamenice on January 26, 1972. Twenty-three passengers and five crew members were killed. Vesna had found herself trapped in the plane's tail cone and landed on a slope after plunging 10,160 metres (33,300 feet) from the DC-9 aircraft, news agency AFP reported. Vulovic is in the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the longest fall without a parachute. She was in a coma for nearly a month after the crash and temporarily paralysed from the waist down. "My thoughts are always with those who died here," Vulovic said at a ceremony in 2002 when she returned to the spot where she had landed, reported AFP. The bomb had been placed on the Stockholm-to-Zagreb flight by a Croatian separatist group. (With inputs from AFP)

Air hostess who survived 33,000-foot drop from plane dies aged 66

Traces of explosives have been detected on remains of victims of an EgyptAir plane crash last May that killed all 66 people on board, the aviation ministry announced Thursday.

An official investigative committee which made the discovery has referred the case to&nbsp;Egypt&#39;s state prosecution, it added in a statement.

Under Egyptian law, the prosecution takes over &quot;if it becomes clear to the investigative committee that there is criminal suspicion behind the accident&quot;, the ministry said.

French investigators have said that they had found trace levels of the explosive material TNT on the plane&#39;s debris but were prevented from further examining it, according to a report in the Paris daily Le Figaro.

EgyptAir MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo when it disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean.

Investigators determined that a fire broke out in or near the cockpit of the Airbus A320 before it crashed between Crete and the coast of northern&nbsp;Egypt. An earlier analysis of the plane&#39;s flight data recorder showed there had been smoke in the lavatory and avionics bay.

Among the 66 people on board were 40 Egyptians, including the 10-member crew, and 15 French nationals.

Egypt&#39;s aviation minister had said a terrorist attack was the most likely cause of the crash.

(AFP and Reuters)

An official investigative committee which made the discovery has referred the case to?Egypt's state prosecution

Traces of explosives have been detected on remains of victims of an EgyptAir plane crash last May that killed all 66 people on board, the aviation ministry announced Thursday. An official investigative committee which made the discovery has referred the case to Egypt's state prosecution, it added in a statement. Under Egyptian law, the prosecution takes over "if it becomes clear to the investigative committee that there is criminal suspicion behind the accident", the ministry said. French investigators have said that they had found trace levels of the explosive material TNT on the plane's debris but were prevented from further examining it, according to a report in the Paris daily Le Figaro. EgyptAir MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo when it disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean. Investigators determined that a fire broke out in or near the cockpit of the Airbus A320 before it crashed between Crete and the coast of northern Egypt. An earlier analysis of the plane's flight data recorder showed there had been smoke in the lavatory and avionics bay. Among the 66 people on board were 40 Egyptians, including the 10-member crew, and 15 French nationals. Egypt's aviation minister had said a terrorist attack was the most likely cause of the crash. (AFP and Reuters)

Explosive traces found on remains in EgyptAir MS804 crash

Bolivia announced it had shut down LAMIA charter airline whose plane crashed on Monday killing 71 people in Colombia, including players from a Brazilian football team and twenty journalists.

The government said it had suspended the Bolivian charter company and rdered an investigation into its operations. It also suspended the executive staff of the civil aviation authority and the airports administrator for the duration of the probe, news agency AFP reported.

The decision comes as investigators examine factors leading to the crash.

Only six people survived the disaster that killed most of Brazilian football club Chapecoense Real and 20 journalists traveling with them to a championship match.

According to a recording aired on Wednesday by Colombian media, the pilot had radioed to report that the plane was running out of fuel.

Bolivian pilot Miguel Quiroga had asked for permission to land due to a &quot;fuel emergency&quot; but was told that he would have to wait seven minutes for another plane to land first.

&quot;We have a fuel emergency, ma&#39;am, that&#39;s why I am asking you for it at once,&quot; the pilot replied.

Shortly after, the pilot radioed: &quot;Miss, LAMIA 933 is in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel.&quot;

The operator responded: &quot;Runway clear and expect rain on the runway Lima-Mike-India 2933. Firefighters alerted.&quot;

The pilot of an Aviance plane flying near by confirmed he had overheard the LAMIA plane reporting an emergency.

&quot;Mayday mayday ... Help us get to the runway ... Help, help,&quot; Juan Sebastian Upegui described the LAMIA pilot as saying in an audio message also played by local media, reuters reported. &quot;Then it ended ... We all started to cry.&quot;

AFP reported that the investigators had finished identifying the bodies on Thursday. Since there was no fire on board, bodies are being identified by fingerprints, Julio Bitelli, Brazil&#39;s ambassador to Colombia, had told Reuters.

The bodies will be sent to Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and Paraguay late Thursday or early Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)

Bolivia said it suspended charter company LAMIA's permit and ordered an investigation into its operations

Bolivia announced it had shut down LAMIA charter airline whose plane crashed on Monday killing 71 people in Colombia, including players from a Brazilian football team and twenty journalists. The government said it had suspended the Bolivian charter company and rdered an investigation into its operations. It also suspended the executive staff of the civil aviation authority and the airports administrator for the duration of the probe, news agency AFP reported. The decision comes as investigators examine factors leading to the crash. Only six people survived the disaster that killed most of Brazilian football club Chapecoense Real and 20 journalists traveling with them to a championship match. According to a recording aired on Wednesday by Colombian media, the pilot had radioed to report that the plane was running out of fuel. Bolivian pilot Miguel Quiroga had asked for permission to land due to a "fuel emergency" but was told that he would have to wait seven minutes for another plane to land first. "We have a fuel emergency, ma'am, that's why I am asking you for it at once," the pilot replied. Shortly after, the pilot radioed: "Miss, LAMIA 933 is in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel." The operator responded: "Runway clear and expect rain on the runway Lima-Mike-India 2933. Firefighters alerted." The pilot of an Aviance plane flying near by confirmed he had overheard the LAMIA plane reporting an emergency. "Mayday mayday ... Help us get to the runway ... Help, help," Juan Sebastian Upegui described the LAMIA pilot as saying in an audio message also played by local media, reuters reported. "Then it ended ... We all started to cry." AFP reported that the investigators had finished identifying the bodies on Thursday. Since there was no fire on board, bodies are being identified by fingerprints, Julio Bitelli, Brazil's ambassador to Colombia, had told Reuters. The bodies will be sent to Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and Paraguay late Thursday or early Friday. (With inputs from agencies)

Colombia crash airline shut down

The pilot of the Colombian plane that crashed and killed 71 people on Monday had radioed to report that the plane was running out of fuel, according to a recording aired on Wednesday by Colombian media.

The pilot had asked for permission to land due to a &quot;fuel emergency&quot;.

&quot;Miss, LAMIA 933 is in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel,&quot; the Bolivian pilot Miguel Quiroga is heard telling a control tower operator at Medellin airport.

The request was granted by the control tower at Medellin&#39;s international airport. But the tower then lost contact with the plane, whose fuselage was found plastered on a hillside 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside the city, news agency AFP reorted.

Authrities have not confirmed the authenticity of the recording played by Colombian broadcasters.

Only six people, including a journalist and two crew members, survived the air disaster that killed most of a Brazilian soccer team and twenty journalists. Only three of the Chapecoense soccer squad en route to the biggest game in their history survived.

The pilot of an Aviance plane flying near by confirmed he had overheard the LAMIA plane reporting an emergency.

&quot;Mayday mayday ... Help us get to the runway ... Help, help,&quot; Juan Sebastian Upegui described the LAMIA pilot as saying in an audio message also played by local media, reuters reported. &quot;Then it ended ... We all started to cry.&quot;

The recordings could be used in investigations and the Aviance plane pilot called as a witness, said Alfredo Bocanegra, head of the civil aviation authority.

The BAe 146, made by BAE Systems Plc, slammed into a mountainside, Reuters reported.

One survivor, Bolivian flight technician Erwin Tumiri, said he only saved himself by strict adherence to security procedure, while others panicked.

&quot;Many passengers got up from their seats and started yelling,&quot; he told Colombia&#39;s Radio Caracol. &quot;I put the bag between my legs and went into the foetal position as recommended.&quot;

Another survivor, Bolivian flight attendant Ximena Suarez, said the plane slammed into the mountain less than a minute after the lights went out.

Of the players, goalkeeper Jackson Follmann was recovering from the amputation of his right leg, doctors said.

Another player, defender Helio Neto, remained in intensive care with severe trauma to his skull, thorax and lungs. Fellow defender Alan Ruschel had spinal surgery.

Journalist Rafael Valmorbida was in intensive care for multiple rib fractures that partly collapsed a lung.

Investigations into the two black boxes from the crash site near the town of La union are on going.

The plane &quot;came over my house, but there was no noise,&quot; said Nancy Munoz, 35, Reuters reported. &quot;The engine must have gone.&quot;

All the bodies have been recovered, of which forty-five have been identified.

Since there was no fire on board, bodies are being identified by fingerprints, Julio Bitelli, Brazil&#39;s ambassador to Colombia, told Reuters.

&quot;There&#39;s no need for family members to come,&quot; Bitelli said. &quot;If they want to come, that&#39;s an individual decision that we respect, and we will give all the support needed.&quot;

The bodies will be sent to Brazil and Bolivia. All of the crew members were Bolivian.

Soccer-mad Brazil declared three days of mourning. Global football greats from Lionel Messi to Pele sent condolences.

The Colombian team wants the trophy to be given to Chapecoense in honour of the dead.

&quot;As far as we are concerned,&quot; the team said, &quot;Chapecoense will forever be the champions of the Copa Sudamericana Cup 2016.&quot;

(With inputs from agencies)

'Miss, LAMIA 933 is in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel,' the Bolivian pilot Miguel Quiroga is heard in a recording

The pilot of the Colombian plane that crashed and killed 71 people on Monday had radioed to report that the plane was running out of fuel, according to a recording aired on Wednesday by Colombian media. The pilot had asked for permission to land due to a "fuel emergency". "Miss, LAMIA 933 is in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel," the Bolivian pilot Miguel Quiroga is heard telling a control tower operator at Medellin airport. The request was granted by the control tower at Medellin's international airport. But the tower then lost contact with the plane, whose fuselage was found plastered on a hillside 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside the city, news agency AFP reorted. Authrities have not confirmed the authenticity of the recording played by Colombian broadcasters. Only six people, including a journalist and two crew members, survived the air disaster that killed most of a Brazilian soccer team and twenty journalists. Only three of the Chapecoense soccer squad en route to the biggest game in their history survived. The pilot of an Aviance plane flying near by confirmed he had overheard the LAMIA plane reporting an emergency. "Mayday mayday ... Help us get to the runway ... Help, help," Juan Sebastian Upegui described the LAMIA pilot as saying in an audio message also played by local media, reuters reported. "Then it ended ... We all started to cry." The recordings could be used in investigations and the Aviance plane pilot called as a witness, said Alfredo Bocanegra, head of the civil aviation authority. The BAe 146, made by BAE Systems Plc, slammed into a mountainside, Reuters reported. One survivor, Bolivian flight technician Erwin Tumiri, said he only saved himself by strict adherence to security procedure, while others panicked. "Many passengers got up from their seats and started yelling," he told Colombia's Radio Caracol. "I put the bag between my legs and went into the foetal position as recommended." Another survivor, Bolivian flight attendant Ximena Suarez, said the plane slammed into the mountain less than a minute after the lights went out. Of the players, goalkeeper Jackson Follmann was recovering from the amputation of his right leg, doctors said. Another player, defender Helio Neto, remained in intensive care with severe trauma to his skull, thorax and lungs. Fellow defender Alan Ruschel had spinal surgery. Journalist Rafael Valmorbida was in intensive care for multiple rib fractures that partly collapsed a lung. Investigations into the two black boxes from the crash site near the town of La union are on going. The plane "came over my house, but there was no noise," said Nancy Munoz, 35, Reuters reported. "The engine must have gone." All the bodies have been recovered, of which forty-five have been identified. Since there was no fire on board, bodies are being identified by fingerprints, Julio Bitelli, Brazil's ambassador to Colombia, told Reuters. "There's no need for family members to come," Bitelli said. "If they want to come, that's an individual decision that we respect, and we will give all the support needed." The bodies will be sent to Brazil and Bolivia. All of the crew members were Bolivian. Soccer-mad Brazil declared three days of mourning. Global football greats from Lionel Messi to Pele sent condolences. The Colombian team wants the trophy to be given to Chapecoense in honour of the dead. "As far as we are concerned," the team said, "Chapecoense will forever be the champions of the Copa Sudamericana Cup 2016." (With inputs from agencies)

Colombia plane crash: Pilot had radioed 'fuel emergency'

A helicopter crashed into a hillside in Nepal today, killing all seven people on board including a baby, an airline official said. 
 
The Fishtail Air helicopter carrying six locals to Kathmandu lost contact with air traffic control about 30 minutes after taking off from the western district of Gorkha. Rescuers have reached the crash site north of the capital where they will retrieve the bodies. 
 
&quot;There were five adults and one infant on board, as well as the pilot,&quot; said Ramesh Shiwakoti of Fishtail Air. &quot;There are no survivors,&quot; Shiwakoti told AFP. &quot;Without an investigation, we cannot tell what caused the accident.&quot; 
 
Nepal, still reeling from last year&#39;s devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people, has suffered a number of air disasters in recent years. The crashes have dealt a blow to the tourism industry, a source of much-needed revenue in the impoverished Himalayan nation. 
 
Most of the accidents have been attributed to inexperienced pilots, poor management and inadequate maintenance. 
 
Four people, including three staff from medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), died in June 2015 when a helicopter delivering aid to quake survivors crashed. 
 
That incident came three weeks after a UH-1Y Huey helicopter came down on a relief mission in the north of the country. 
 
Six US Marines, two Nepali soldiers and five villagers were killed. The European Union in 2013 banned all Nepalese airlines from flying there following international alarm over Nepal&#39;s air safety record. 
 
(AFP) 
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The Fishtail Air helicopter was carrying six passengers, including a baby, and the pilot. Rescuers have reached the crash site

A helicopter crashed into a hillside in Nepal today, killing all seven people on board including a baby, an airline official said. The Fishtail Air helicopter carrying six locals to Kathmandu lost contact with air traffic control about 30 minutes after taking off from the western district of Gorkha. Rescuers have reached the crash site north of the capital where they will retrieve the bodies. "There were five adults and one infant on board, as well as the pilot," said Ramesh Shiwakoti of Fishtail Air. "There are no survivors," Shiwakoti told AFP. "Without an investigation, we cannot tell what caused the accident." Nepal, still reeling from last year's devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people, has suffered a number of air disasters in recent years. The crashes have dealt a blow to the tourism industry, a source of much-needed revenue in the impoverished Himalayan nation. Most of the accidents have been attributed to inexperienced pilots, poor management and inadequate maintenance. Four people, including three staff from medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), died in June 2015 when a helicopter delivering aid to quake survivors crashed. That incident came three weeks after a UH-1Y Huey helicopter came down on a relief mission in the north of the country. Six US Marines, two Nepali soldiers and five villagers were killed. The European Union in 2013 banned all Nepalese airlines from flying there following international alarm over Nepal's air safety record. (AFP)

Chopper crash in Nepal kills all seven aboard

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