Accident on the way to Everest: two helicopters collided on a high-altitude site
In the Nepalese region Solukhumbu, a plane crash occurred involving two helicopters that were simultaneously landing at a site in the village of Pheriche at an altitude of 4,371 meters. According to the report Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, one of the planes was carrying a cargo flight from the airport Lukla Airport, while the other was evacuating two foreigners from the point Gorakshep.
One of the helicopters began a rapid descent despite warnings from ground personnel as another helicopter approached. At a height of about two to three meters above the ground, the rotor blades of one machine hit the windows of the passenger cabin of the other. As a result of the collision, citizen Indian died, and the passenger from New Zealand and both pilots were injured.
According to preliminary findings of the aviation authorities, the disaster occurred due to a communication breakdown between the crews. The site at Pheriche is located outside the coverage area of the Lukla Airport control tower, so the pilots are forced to coordinate maneuvers with each other directly on the air or rely on instructions from ground personnel.
Context
At altitudes above 4,000 meters, air density drops to approximately 60% of sea level, so aircraft operate at capacity with minimal lift reserves. At the same time, during peak season months, the number of helicopter flights in the Everest area exceeds a hundred per day, which creates excessive load on landing points where there is no air traffic control at all.