On 12 July 1969, a

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

operated by Royal Nepal Airlines crashed in Nepal en route from Tribhuvan International Airport to Simara Airport on a domestic scheduled passenger flight. The wreckage of the aircraft, registration ''9N-AAP'', was found in

Hetauda Hetauda ( ne, हेटौडा, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Makwanpur District of Bagmati Province in central Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of the Makwanpur District and the capital of Bagmati Province as declared by m ...

, Makwanpur District. All 31 passengers and four crew aboard were killed in the crash. An investigation into the crash was launched by Nepalese authorities after the accident site was located.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the crash was a

operated by Royal Nepal Airlines. Its maiden flight was in 1946 with Aer Lingus and was sold to Royal Nepal Airlines in 1964.

Crew and passengers

All occupants on board died in the crash; they included the four crew members and 31 passengers.

Incident

The flight was a scheduled domestic flight from Kathmandu to Simara in the Terrai region of Nepal. Despite the hilly flight path, the

cruising altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...

was . In the clouds above

, the aircraft hit a tree on a mountain, which the crew did not see due to bad visibility. The aircraft crashed and caught fire. All occupants were killed in the crash. At the time, it was the worst aviation accident in Nepali history. It was the third accident of this aircraft operated by Royal Nepal Airlines, who were the sole airline operator in Nepal at that time.

References

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1969 Aviation accidents and incidents in Nepal 1969 in Nepal Accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-3 1969 disasters in Nepal Nepal Airlines accidents and incidents {{Aviation-accident-stub

Aircraft

Crew and passengers

Incident

See also

References