Bad weather reason behind Air Dynasty chopper crash carrying Minister Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: Bad weather was the reason behind the helicopter crash of Air Dynasty carrying Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari and his team, according to the preliminary report.

General Manager at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Raj Kumar Chhetri, said that the reason behind the chopper crash was the adverse weather.

The chopper carrying a team comprising Minister Adhikari crashed at Darebhir of Taplejung at 1:30 pm Wednesday when they were en route to conduct a feasibility study of the proposed airport at Chuhandanda after visiting the Pathivara Temple.

The team had taken the helicopter flight from Kathmandu at 8 am today.

Minister Adhikari, Managing Director of Yeti Airlines, Aang Tshiring Sherpa, Deputy Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority Nepal, Birendra Prasad Shrestha, and Director Durba Bhochhibhoya, Under-Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Yubraj Dahal, Captain Pravakar KC and security guard of Minister Adhikari, Arjun Kumar Ghimire, were also killed in the crash.

ADVERSE WEATHER CREATING PROBLEM IN COLLECTING BODIES

Adverse weather has affected the task of collecting bodies of Air Dynasty chopper crash victims.

Although there was no situation to land the helicopter of the Nepal Army at the incident site, four bodies have been collected and brought to the Suketar airport using ropes to airlift the bodies.

Problem has been surfaced to bring other remaining bodies due to snowfall. A night vision helicopter of the NA is now at Suketar airport.