Pheriche, Eeverest. Photo; Shutterstock Two helicopters, a Fishtail Air and an Air Dynasty, collided while attempting to land at the Pheriche helipad in Nepal's Solukhumbu district on November 3, leaving one person dead and three others injured, according to Nepal Police.
Fishtail Air separately confirmed that its AS350 helicopter, registration 9N-AJR, was involved in an accident while landing in the area, with one passenger killed and another passenger and the captain injured.
The company's statement confirmed that an Indian passenger died and two other people were injured after a Fishtail Air helicopter crashed while landing in Pheriche, in Nepal's Solukhumbu district. The injured passenger and the helicopter's captain were taken to Kathmandu for medical treatment, according to two statements issued by the airline.
The helicopter, an Airbus AS350 registered as 9N-AJR, was flying from Gorakhpur to Pheriche when the accident occurred during landing, Fishtail Air said in its first press release.
The airline initially reported that the passengers and crew had been rescued and were being brought to Kathmandu. It also said its engineering department and rescue team were mobilized immediately after the incident.
In a second statement, Fishtail Air confirmed that one of the passengers, Indian citizen Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, had died. His body was taken to Lukla Hospital, where police were handling the case.
Another passenger and the helicopter's captain sustained injuries and were admitted to Medicity Hospital in Kathmandu for further treatment.
Fishtail Air expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured passenger and captain a speedy recovery.
The company said it would provide further information as more details became available. Its initial statement also said that information about the incident would be shared following an initial technical investigation.
Pheriche is a settlement in Nepal's Solukhumbu district and an important stop for trekkers heading toward Everest Base Camp.