Altitude Air Helicopter Skids on Snow and Crashes in the Everest region of Nepal (Lobuche)

Nepal, a country that has gained notoriety for a number of crashes, especially in the Everest region, has seen another helicopter accident in the region. An Airbus H125 operated by Altitude Air that took off for a rescue flight from Lukla, the most dangerous airport in the world, to Lobuche crashed this morning. The cause of the crash is still unknown, and further enquiries are going on.

Field	Details
Company	Altitude Air
Aircraft	9N-AMS
Captain	Bibek Khadka
Sector	Lukla – Lobuche (Rescue flight)
Departure Time (Lukla)	07:43 LT
Update	Pilot uninjured, no passengers on board
Cause	Probably slipped on the snow while trying to land

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Details of the Crash of Altitude Air 9N-AMS in Lobuche

Altitude Air is one of the handful of helicopter operators in Nepal. It has a fleet of three helicopters- all of which are the Airbus H125 type, which are registered:

9N-AMS
9N-AMX
9N-AON

The 9N-AMS, which crashed today in Lobuche was delivered to the carrier in 2017. (n-AMS was dispatched from Airbus Helicopter Southeast Asia, Singapore on 29th August in 2017. Before landing in Tribhuvan International Airport, it transited the following places:

Surat Thani of Thailand
Yangon in Myanmar
Dhaka in Bangladesh
Biratnagar in Eastern Nepal

The aircraft had been involved in a variety of rescue missions in the past too. Here are the specifications of this chopper:

9N-AMS: Features

Specification	Details
Height	10 ft 96 in
Wingspan	35 ft 7 in
Length	42 ft 45 in
External Baggage	10 ft 96 in
Cabin Height	4 ft 26 in
Cabin Width	6 ft 14 in
Cabin Length	6 ft 56 in
Cabin Volume	61 cu ft
Door Height	3 ft 60 in
Door Width	5 ft 53 in
Internal Baggage	8.38 cu ft
Crew	1
Passengers	5

Data: Altitude Air

While the Airbus H-125 is capable of accommodating five passengers, the aircraft involved in the accident was devoid of passengers as it was going for a rescue mission. It has been conjectured that the helicopter slipped on the pad while landing. The pilot returned safely to Lukla.

Diving Deeper into features of the Altitude Air’s Airbus H125

A majority of the helicopter operators in Nepal operate the Airbus H125, which was previously known as the Airbus A350B3 helicopter. The chopper flew with brio when it became the first and the only helicopter that landed at the top of Everest.

After this record-breaking evet, the H125 became a staple in the skies of the Everest region.

Let’s take a look at the performance capabilities of the chopper:

Specification	Details
Maximum Takeoff Weight	5,225 lb
Maximum Landing Weight	2,888 lb
Operating Weight	4,960 lb
Empty Weight	2,877 lb
Fuel Capacity	143 gal
Useful Payload	2,193 lb
Payload with Full Fuel	5,225 lb
Maximum Payload	1,926 lb
Normal Range	300 nm
Maximum Range	351 nm
Service Ceiling	16,550 ft
Rate of Climb	1,773 fpm
Maximum Speed	155 kts
Normal Cruise Speed	122 kts
Engine(s)	1
Engine Manufacturer	Turbomeca Arriel
Engine Model	Arriel 2D

The H125 is also remembered for the numerous records it holds:

In 2005, an AS350 B3 helicopter made aviation history by achieving the highest-altitude landing and takeoff ever recorded — on Mount Everest at 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) — a record that still remains unbeaten.
Later, in May 2013, the same model accomplished another milestone by carrying out the highest long-line rescue mission on Lhotse, the world’s fourth-tallest peak, at an altitude of 7,800 metres (25,590 feet).

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A Heavy Snowfall: The reason behind the Altitude Air’s helicopter crash?

CNN reported that ” (Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal) CAAN video showed the helicopter, which slipped on the snow while landing, lying on its side”, though the author hasn’t been able to locate the video referenced.

Photo: Matheus Hobold Sovernigo | Wikimedia Commons

The video (above) of the crash definitely shows that Lobuche area, which lies in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality-5 area, was snow-leaden. CNN also hinted at inclement weather in the Everest region:

“Weather officials have forecast heavy rain and snow on Thursday and Friday due to the passage of Cyclone Montha, which roared into India’s southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night. On the Tibetan side of Everest, ticket sales had been suspended since Tuesday afternoon as roads turned icy and visibility plunged, creating impassable conditions for vehicular traffic, according to the tourism department of Tingri county.”

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A Brief Dive into the Recent helicopter Crashes in Nepal

Let’s have a look at the various helicopter crashes in Nepal in recent times:

Date	Registration	Operator	Location	Fatalities
27 Feb 2019	9N-AMI	Air Dynasty	Taplejung, Pathivara Mandir area, Sisne Khola Tare Vir	7
14 Apr 2019	9N-ALC	Manang Air	Lukla Airport	0
5 May 2023	9N-AJZ	Simrik Air	Chumrung, Sankhuwasabha	1
11 Jul 2023	9N-AMV	Manang Air	Chholing, Lamjura, Solukhumbu	6
7 Aug 2024	9N-AJD	Air Dynasty	Shivapuri-7, Suryachaur, Nuwakot	—

Source: CAAN

Note that all the helicopters involved in the crashes above were the AS350 type.

All in All

While Nepal does get a lot of criticism for its checkered safety record, this incident can do down as one that was most likely caused by inclement weather conditions. The chopper was well below its service ceiling at the altitude where it was going on the rescue mission. Every aviation enthusiast in the world is waiting for the details of the crash to come out.