Tara DHC6 near Jomsom on May 29th 2022, aircraft found collided with mountain

Last Update: June 7, 2022 / 10:36:34 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Tara Air 9N-AET, De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter — Tara Air 9N-AET, De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter (Photo modified based on photo from Goutam1962 / Wikimedia Commons / License: CC by-sa 4.0)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 29, 2022

Classification
Crash

Airline
Tara Air

Departure
Pokhara, Nepal

Destination
Jomsom, Nepal

Aircraft Registration
9N-AET

Aircraft Type
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

ICAO Type Designator
DHC6

A Tara Air de Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registration 9N-AET performing a flight from Pokhara to Jomsom (Nepal) with 19 passengers and 3 crew, was enroute at 13,000 feet about 16nm south of Jomsom, about to enter the valley for the approach into Jomsom near Lete Pass, when the aircraft disappeared from radar. A search including two helicopters was underway but hampered by poor visibility in the area near Lete (Nepal), where the aircraft is assumed to have crashed. The aircraft was found crashed the following morning at position N28.7119 E83.5922 at 14500 feet MSL, there were no survivors.

The CAA Nepal reported (May 29th) last contact with the aircraft had been at 10:07L (04:22Z) near Ghode Pani (according to ADS-B data the aircraft overflew the village at 04:20Z and began to turn north over the village) approaching Lete Pass, no further contact occurred. The aircraft carried 13 Nepalese, 4 Indian and 2 German citizens plus the 3 crew members.

Later the day (May 29th) the CAA reported that an ELT signal has been located near "Khaibang" (location not identifyable, with the help of reader Roland Wuetrich, see comments below, this most likely refers to Kobang village, position N28.6903 E83.6169), however, rescue teams have been unable to reach the crash site. Aerial search had to be stopped due to poor weather conditions with low hanging clouds. Rescue teams are on their way on the ground estimated to take about 12 hours to reach the crash site.

Locals reported the aircraft flew two circles near Khaibang.

In the morning of May 30th 2022 rescue teams reached the crash site at 14500 feet MSL (about 4400 meters above sea level) on Sano Sware Bhir (Sano Sware Cliff) of Thasang in Mustang (about 6.3nm north of Lete, about 7nm southwest of Jomsom) but found no survivors. 14 bodies have been recovered so far.

By evening of May 30th 2022 21 bodies have been recovered, one body is still unaccounted for.

The airline reported before departure of the aircraft weather conditions were checked and it was known, that Lete Pass was covered with clouds. Two aircraft were scheduled to fly. The flights, planned to depart at 06:15, therefore departed late at 09:55 after the weather had improved, the other aircraft flying 3 minutes ahead of the crashed one. This aircraft landed in Jomsom. The crashed one was about 5 minutes from landing at Jomsom.

On May 31st 2022 the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal reported all 22 bodies have been taken to Kathmandu. The black box of the aircraft has been recovered and have been handed to the investigation commission.

On Jun 7th 2022 The Aviation Herald received the coordinates of the crash site at position N28.7119 E83.5922, about 1.9nm northwest of Kobang and the Kali Gandaki River in the Jomsom Valley.