ASN Aircraft accident Let L-410UVP-E20 9N-AMH Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 14 April 2019
Time:09:07
Type:Silhouette image of generic L410 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Let L-410UVP-E20
Operator:Summit Air
Registration: 9N-AMH
MSN: 2914
First flight: 2013
Total airframe hrs:4426
Cycles:5464
Engines: 2 General Electric H80-200
Crew:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Ground casualties:Fatalities: 2
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) (   Nepal)
Phase: Takeoff (TOF)
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA/VNLK), Nepal
Destination airport:Ramechhap Airport (RHP/VNRC), Nepal
Flightnumber:802D
Narrative:
A Summit Air Let L-410UVP-E20 Turbolet impacted a Manang Air Eurocopter AS 350B3e helicopter (9N-ALC) during a takeoff attempt at Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Nepal. The aircraft and helicopter were destroyed. One helicopter (Shree Airlines Eurocopter AS 350, 9N-ALK) sustained minor damage.
The copilot of the Summit Air plane sustained fatal injuries. Two persons on the ground at the helipad also died in the accident.
The L-410 was repositioning to Ramechhap after flying passengers and cargo to Lukla. The captain taxied the aircraft to threshold of runway 24 and handed over control to the co-pilot. Within 3 seconds of the takeoff roll the aircraft veered to the right and exited the runway, travelling about 43 ft across the grassy part on right side of runway 24, before striking the airport inner perimeter fence. It then continued to skid for about 43 ft, and hit two persons before it crashed into the upper helipad. It struck the turning rotor blades of 9N-ALC. The moving rotors cut through the cockpit and the helicopter toppled onto the lower helipad 6 ft below.
The left-hand wing of the aircraft broke the skid of another helicopter, 9N-ALK, and came to a halt with 9N-ALC beneath its right-hand main wheel assembly

Lukla Airport is located on a mountain at an elevation of 9334 feet (2845 m). The runway is 1729 ft long (527 m) with an 11.7% gradient. Takeoffs must be performed from the downsloping runway 24. The helipad is located to the right of the runway, about 100 meters past the threshold.

Probable Cause:

Probable Cause
The commission concluded that the probable cause of the accident was aircraft's veering towards right during initial take-off roll as a result of asymmetric power due to abrupt shifting of right power lever rearwards and failure to abort the takeoff by crew. There were not enough evidences to determine the exact reason for abrupt shifting of the power lever.
Contributing Factors
1. Failure of the PF(being a less experienced co-pilot) to immediately assess and act upon the abrupt shifting of the right power lever resulted in aircraft veering to the right causing certain time lapse for PIC to take controls in order to initiate correction.
2. PIC's attempted corrections of adding power could not correct the veering. Subsequently, application of brakes resulted in asymmetric braking due to the position of the pedals, and further contributed veering towards right.

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: AAIC Nepal
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 280 days (9 months)
Accident number: AAIR-076/1
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Loss of control

Sources:
» Kathmandu Post


Follow-up / safety actions

issued 1 Safety Recommendation
Nepal AAIC issued 6 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Let-L-410UVP-E20-9N-AMH
accident date: 14-04-2019
type: Let L-410UVP-E20
registration: 9N-AMH
photo of Let-L-410UVP-E20-9N-AMH
accident date: 14-04-2019
type: Let L-410UVP-E20
registration: 9N-AMH
photo of Let-L-410UVP-E20-9N-AMH
photo of Let-L-410UVP-E20-9N-AMH
accident date: 14-04-2019
type: Let L-410UVP-E20
registration: 9N-AMH
photo of Let-L-410UVP-E20-9N-AMH
accident date: 14-04-2019
type: Let L-410UVP-E20
registration: 9N-AMH
photo of Let-L-410UVP-E20-9N-AMH
accident date: 14-04-2019
type: Let L-410UVP-E20
registration: 9N-AMH
 

Video, social media

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport to Ramechhap Airport as the crow flies is 73 km (46 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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