A private helicopter carrying five US nationals was forced to make an emergency landing in Nepal on Sunday after a bird strike mid-flight. The incident occurred at 11 am when the Heli Everest airline helicopter, identified as 9N-AKG, was en route from Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest, to Kathmandu.
The helicopter was approximately 50 kilometers east of Kathmandu, near Banepa, when the bird strike occurred. Despite the unexpected situation, the pilot successfully executed a safe landing, avoiding any injuries to the passengers or crew.
The helicopter, which was carrying five US nationals and one Nepali pilot, did not suffer significant damage during the incident. However, the airline confirmed that the aircraft would undergo a technical inspection to ensure its safety before returning to service.
Authorities and the airline praised the quick response of the pilot, who managed to land the aircraft without further complications, ensuring the safety of everyone onboard.
This came in the wake of three major aviation incidents today.
South Korea plane crash
A tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea has resulted in the deaths of at least 85 people. The incident involved Jeju Air flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800, which was carrying 181 passengers and crew members on a flight from Bangkok to the airport in the country’s southwestern region. The crash occurred shortly after the plane landed at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday. The aircraft skidded off the runway, struck a concrete barrier, and caught fire.
Air Canada
An Air Canada flight had a terrifying landing at Halifax Airport when the aircraft skidded off the runway and caught fire due to a broken landing gear. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of casualties.This incident occurred just hours after a Boeing 737 at Muan Airport in South Korea caught fire following its landing, tragically resulting in the deaths of all but two passengers.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
On Saturday, December 28, a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Oslo Torp Sandefjord Airport in Norway after experiencing a hydraulic failure. The Boeing 737-800, which had departed from Oslo Airport and was headed to Amsterdam, diverted to Sandefjord Airport, approximately 110 kilometers south of Oslo.
(With PTI Inputs)