Pilot killed in Nepal Army plane crash

Kathmandu:  The pilot of a small cargo plane of the Nepal Army was killed and two crew members injured when the aircraft overshot the runway during an emergency landing in western Nepal on Tuesday, the second accident involving a cargo aircraft in less than a week in the Himalayan nation.

Captain Kailash Gurung died and two others sustained injuries in the accident at Kolti airport in Bajura district, about 700 kilometres west of Kathmandu, Nepal Army said. The injured have been admitted to a hospital. The Army aircraft, PZL M28 Skytruck with call sign NA- 048, was carrying food supplies from Nepalgunj to the mountainous district of Humla in far-west Nepal.

The plane was to land at the Simikot airport in Humla district. But, due to bad weather it was flown to Bajura where the pilot tried to force-land it resulting in the accident. The plane overshot the runway for about 50 metres and overturned on a field, an airport official said. This was the second mishap involving a cargo plane in Nepal in less than a week.

On May 27, a Czech-manufactured LET-410 plane of the domestic carrier Goma Air crashed during landing at Tenzing– Hillary Airport, the gateway to the Mount Everest region. The pilot of the aircraft was killed in the crash while the co- pilot succumbed at a hospital later.

Nepal has a poor aviation record owing to dangerous airports in the mountainous region. (PTI)