Chopper search called of due to bad weather

June 1, 2002
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By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 1: The search for the missing Asian Airline helicopter was called off for today due to bad weather.

The search operation started today at five in the morning with four helicopters, one each of Air Ananya and the Royal Nepalese Army, joining the two choppers of Simrik Air and Karnali Air in the search.

“The weather began to deteriorate after 9:30 a.m. and by 2:00 o’clock it was almost impossible to continue,” said Pushpa Narayan Manandhar, an official of Tribhuvan International Airport search and rescue coordination centre. “Now, ground search is being mulled and we are talking to the police and the army,” he said.

The search today centred on the Makalu-Barun Wildlife Reserve and the Sagarmatha National Park areas. In the morning the search was focussed on the Makalu–Barun area but the clouds below in the Khandbari area hampered the search.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, Chairman of Asian Airlines, said the helicopters are based on Tumlingtar for further search operation.

The helicopter with 10 people – six passengers and four crew members – two pilots, one engineer and one cabin member – went missing on its second shuttle flight from Makalu Base Camp to Lukla on Friday. The helicopter had completed its first shuttle flight in the morning and started its second flight at 09:53 am.

“The flight was supposed to last for 27 minutes but the chopper lost contact after about 10 minutes,” Manandhar said. “We waited for half an hour and then immediately went for looking for it.” He said the search would resume tomorrow morning.

The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority has announced an award of Rs. 25,000 for the first information of the helicopter and asked to contact the Centre at its Phone No. 472259 or 477166 or the nearest police post, security officials, DDC or VDC.

Meanwhile, RSS adds: Air Ananya Helicopter, which was one among four other helicopters of various airlines pressed into service since 5 a.m. this morning on a search and rescue mission for the 9 NACU (M 18- m tv) helicopter of the Asian Airlines that has gone missing since yesterday, has returned to Kathmandu after continuing the search until 9:30 a.m. As the search and rescue operation could not be continued due to bad weather condition around the possible area, the Tribhuvan International Civil Aviation office has stated.

The other three helicopters have been kept on the alert and are awaiting improvement in weather condition. Similarly, Air Ananya Helicopter which has returned to Kathmandu is also in alert position, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, according to TIA Civil Aviation Office, the amount of the reward for the first person providing information about the missing helicopter has been increased to Rs 50,000.