Aussies among Nepal plane crash dead

Reuters

DOWN: The crash site of a Twin Otter aircraft is seen near the runway at Lukla airport in east Nepal. The Yeti Airlines passenger plane crashed, killing at least 18 people, including two Australians.

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Two Australian travellers were among 18 people killed when a small plane crashed and caught fire while landing at a remote airfield near Mount Everest in Nepal yesterday.

A spokesman for Yeti Airlines, Vinay Shakya, told the Herald the dead Australians were Victorians Andrew Frick McLeod and Kate Charlene Zamudio.

Mr McCleod's stepmother said the two were sweethearts and the trek around Everest was to be the "icing on the cake" of their holiday.

"They had some small treks [in Nepal] and [the Everest trek] was to be the ultimate destination," she said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said both Australians listed on the flight list were from Victoria.

Twelve Germans and four Nepalis were killed in the crash. The aircraft's captain survived and was taken to the capital, Kathmandu, for treatment for head injuries.

Mohan Adhikari, general manager of the Kathmandu airport, who was in charge of the emergency response to the crash, said the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter snagged its wheels on a fence while landing at Lukla airport, about 60 kilometres from Mount Everest.

"The aircraft took off from Kathmandu when the weather was all right but later on the weather deteriorated. Perhaps the deteriorated weather contributed," Mr Adhikari said.

Lukla is the starting point for many treks and climbing expeditions. Its Tenzing-Hillary Airport is about 2800 metres above sea level and is surrounded by mountains. The runway is on an incline and there is a cliff at one end. It can only be used by helicopters and short take-off and landing fixed-wing aircraft.

Mr Shakya, said the airport was "a challenging one for operations" and the weather there was "not very predictable".

"The aircraft crashed on approach to the mountain airfield at Lukla due to poor visibility," he said. He said the visibility there at the time of the crash was about 400 metres, just enough for the aircraft to land.

"Very unfortunately, and very sadly, 18 people were killed," he said.

Mr Adhikari said many of the bodies may not be recognisable because of the fire that engulfed the aircraft, which was built in 1980.

The remains of the dead passengers and some aircraft wreckage were taken to Kathmandu by helicopter yesterday afternoon.

The airline, founded in 1998, has promised a thorough investigation into the crash.

- © Fairfax NZ News