Wreckage of plane with 22 on board found in Nepalese mountains

KATHMANDU, Nepal (Associated Press) – The wreckage of a plane carrying 22 people who disappeared in the mountains of Nepal on Monday were found scattered on the slope of a mountain, the Nepalese military said. There was no news of survivors.

The Tara Airprop Twin Otter was on a 20-minute flight on Sunday when it lost contact with the airport tower as it flew through an area of ​​deep river valleys and mountaintops shortly before its scheduled landing.

The military said the plane crashed in Sanusauer in the Mustang district near the mountainous town of Jomsom as it was heading after taking off from Pokhara resort, 200 km west of Kathmandu.

An aerial photo posted by the military on Twitter of the crash site showed parts of the plane scattered around the mountainside.

No other details were mentioned.

The search for the plane was halted due to bad weather and darkness on Sunday night, but resumed on Monday.

According to tracking data from flightradar24.com, the 43-year-old plane took off from Pokhara at 9:55 AM (04:10 GMT) and sent its last signal at 10:07 AM (04:22 GMT) at altitude. from 12,825 feet (3,900 metres).

And there were four Indians and Germans on board. The three crew members and the other passengers were Nepalese.

The plane destination is popular with foreign trekkers traveling the mountain trails and also with Indian and Nepalese pilgrims visiting the revered Muktinath Temple.

The Twin Otter, a durable aircraft originally built by Canadian aircraft manufacturer De Havilland, has been in service in Nepal for about 50 years, during which it has had about 21 accidents, according to aviationnepal.com.

The aircraft is known for its upper wing and fixed landing gear, for its durability and ability to take off and land on short runways.

Aircraft production originally ended in the 1980s. Another Canadian company, Viking Air, brought the model back into production in 2010.