Two helicopters collided in Nepal on Tuesday 3 November as both were trying to land at the same time on the helipad at Pheriche, in the Everest region. A 47-year-old Indian passenger was killed and three people were injured, including both pilots12. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has opened an investigation, and the cause has not yet been established34.

A cargo flight and a passenger flight on the same helipad

According to a CAAN statement, both helicopters were AS350s. The Air Dynasty Heli Service helicopter, 9N-AOD, was on a cargo flight from Lukla. The Fishtail Air helicopter, 9N-AJR, had taken off from Gorakshep with two foreign passengers on board4. The pilot was the only person on board the Air Dynasty helicopter, police said2. A representative of Air Dynasty told Reuters that the helicopter was carrying only cargo5.

The collision happened at 8.11am local time, Onlinekhabar reported; a CAAN press release gave the time as around 8.12am15. Authorities said the rotor blades of the two helicopters struck each other as they were landing6. Citing footage circulating on social media, The Kathmandu Post reported that the Air Dynasty helicopter's rotor blades struck the passenger compartment windows of the Fishtail Air helicopter when both were still 2 to 3 metres above the ground4.

The passenger who was killed was from Chennai, India, and died at the scene, police said2. The second passenger, from New Zealand, was seriously injured and airlifted to Nepal Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu2. The Fishtail Air pilot was taken to a hospital near Kathmandu, while the Air Dynasty pilot is being treated in Lukla and is in stable condition, according to police21. The Kathmandu Post said this was believed to be the first mid-air collision between two helicopters in Nepal4.

Landing without air traffic control

Pheriche lies at more than 4,200 metres, on the way to Everest Base Camp24. The area is outside the coverage of the control tower at Lukla Airport, so pilots have to coordinate take-offs and landings directly with each other43. That places considerable responsibility on the pilot-in-command to maintain situational awareness and coordinate movements with other pilots3.

"Preliminary reports suggest miscommunication between the pilots, as the area is outside the coverage of Lukla Airport's air traffic control tower and pilots have to communicate with each other," CAAN director general Mukesh Dangol said, according to The Kathmandu Post. "We are recording the statement of the injured pilot." The exact cause has yet to be established4. According to a senior technical officer at CAAN, the weather was clear at the time, with no adverse wind or snow affecting the helipad. The officer said the helipad could accommodate six or seven helicopters at a time3.

Earlier recommendations largely not implemented

Around 70 per cent of Nepal's private helicopter business is concentrated in the Khumbu region around Everest. Dozens of helicopter flights take place daily in the areas beyond Lukla, yet CAAN personnel are not directly present at the remote helipads to monitor operations, Onlinekhabar reported3. After an Altitude Air helicopter crashed at Lobuche on 29 October 2025, a government investigation commission found shortcomings in CAAN's oversight of helicopter operations in the region3.

The commission recommended, among other things, deploying ground staff at Khumbu helipads, requiring pilots to obtain information on landing-site conditions and weather before flying, preparing risk assessments for flights to remote areas, and installing clear, standardised markers at high-altitude helipads. According to Onlinekhabar, most of these recommendations have not been implemented3. CAAN spokesperson Bikram Raj Gautam said the investigation into the collision had begun. The authority said it would take corrective measures based on its findings3.

Peak trekking season

Nepal is in the middle of its autumn trekking season. Heavy snow had covered the route until the weather improved on Sunday, after which thousands of trekkers began moving through the area again7. There are no roads in the region, and helicopters are the only way to evacuate trekkers and guides who fall ill or become exhausted7. In July 2023, a Manang Air AS350 B3e crashed at Lamajura, killing all six people on board. Lamajura is also in Solukhumbu district, where Pheriche is located4. At least 22 fatal helicopter crashes have occurred in Nepal since CAAN began keeping records in 19664.

See also: becoming a helicopter pilot.

On 29 October, a Robinson R22 and an Airbus AS350 collided near an airfield in Oregon, United States.