Two AS350 helicopters operated by Air Dynasty and Fishtail Air collided while landing at Pheriche in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district on 3 November, killing a 47-year-old Indian passenger and injuring three people. The collision occurred below Mount Everest’s base camp, at a helipad used by trekkers and climbing teams. The cause had not been established, and Nepal’s aviation authority was investigating.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal placed the accident at 8:12 a.m. local time; district police reports gave 8:11 a.m. Air Dynasty’s helicopter had arrived from Lukla, while the Fishtail Air aircraft was coming from Gorakshep with two foreign passengers. The Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying cargo.
The injured included a New Zealand passenger and the pilots of both helicopters, according to later reports. Early accounts differed on the number of injured people; the initial Associated Press report listed two, while subsequent reporting citing local authorities put the total at three. Initial information indicated that the rotor blades struck as the aircraft were landing.
Pheriche lies at about 4,200 metres on the route to Everest base camp. Helicopters serve the area for passenger and supply movements, as well as emergency evacuations.