Investigators begin probe into Nepal plane crash
Sunday 30 September 2012
Printable
EmailAir accident investigators from Britain flew to Nepal at the weekend to uncover the cause of a plane crash there which cost the lives of 19 passengers, including seven Britons.
The Dornier twin-engine propeller plane crashed two minutes after take-off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on Friday morning, killing everyone onboard.
Initial reports suggested a bird strike was to blame, but the Nepalese aviation ministry is reported to have said it believed pilot error lay behind the tragedy.
Officials are apparently investigating a theory that the plane was overloaded with both people and baggage and when it hit a bird the pilot didn't have enough speed to turn around and make an emergency landing.
The seven British men who died had arrived in Nepal on Wednesday and were due to begin trekking in the Himalayas. They were travelling with Hampshire-based travel company Explore Worldwide.
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