Date & Time:
Mar 24, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CYN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Shimla-Katmandou
MSN:
19988
YOM:
1944
Country:
Nepal
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
16
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Kathmandu in poor weather conditions when the airplane crashed on a mountainous area located about 20 km from the airport. Following a navigational error on part of the pilots, the airplane followed a wrong approach path to Kathmandu Airport and went into the wrong valley. At the last moment, the pilot-in-command made a sharp turn to avoid the mountain but the aircraft stalled due to an insufficient speed and crashed on a rocky slope. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 20 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Navigation error on part of the flying crew. Lack of visibility caused by poor weather conditions was considered as a contributing factor.
