GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A small Sita Air Dornier plane that was carrying tourists to the Mt Everest region for three weeks of trekking caught fire during an emergency landing early Friday morning 28 September, killing all 19 persons on board. Five were Chinese nationals and seven Britons, with four Nepalese passengers and the crew.
Officials reportedly say there is no clear cause for the accident, which happened shortly after takeoff from the Kathmandu Airport, but they suspect a large bird may have been sucked up into the engine.
It is the sixth aviation accident in two years in Nepal, where small planes are often used to carry trekkers and climbers closer to their destinations.
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