Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: A team formed to investigate the Altitude Air helicopter accident in Lobuche, Solukhumbu, in October last year has concluded that pilot overcorrection during landing in whiteout conditions was the primary cause of the crash.
The chopper was conducting a rescue charter flight from Lukla to Lobuche when it crashed while landing at the Lobuche helipad on October 29.
“The most probable cause of the accident was an overcorrection input while attempting to counter the misalignment of the skids during a no-hover landing on a snow-covered helipad, which lacked visual markers or cues,” the committee said in its report.
According to the investigation report, the helicopter lost control while attempting a no-hover landing on a snow-covered, unmarked helipad. “The Pilot-In-Command (PIC) performed a standard no-hover landing where it encountered a skid imbalance and the rotor wash lifted loose snow, creating whiteout conditions that eliminated visual references,” the committee said in its report. “The main rotor struck the ground, causing the helicopter to topple and sustain substantial structural damage.”
Only the pilot was on board the chopper who escaped unhurt.
The probe team determined that the aircraft was airworthy, and the accident was operational in nature.
According to the report, several factors, such as the lack of visual ground references, uneven landing terrain, and the absence of ground support staff at Lobuche, contributed to the accident.
The committee has recommended a series of safety measures to prevent similar incidents. These include deploying licensed dispatchers at sub-bases for better operational oversight, improving pre-flight briefings for crews, and conducting detailed risk assessments for operations at remote helipads and in limited-visibility conditions.
Operators have also been advised to ensure that landing sites are properly assessed for size and surface conditions, and that clear criteria are established for aborting landings when visual references deteriorate.
The Aviation Safety and Accident Investigation Section of the Civil Aviation Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation conducted the investigation.
