Sad news from Nepal
 

7 fatalities in AS350 crash

Fishtail Air chopper missing

skadi

What a disaster! My heartfelt sympathies to all involved but I just hope it's not Verticai Freedom.

I've been following his thread here on prune, and looks like he's not flying for them anymore. One thing for sure, flying over there is challenging and there is no room for rookie's mistakes.

My condolences. Rest in peace

Very sad news....as it always is, unfortunately.

I think you'll find that VF is now flying in Bhutan.

Sq

Very sad news, we were closer than most to Nepal heli ops thanks to VF so this is a little closer to "home"

Just a heads up - and I'm not sure if the editors of the page actually realized it - but there is a body in the fourth picture. May want to put a warning in the OP, it's quite gruesome once you realize what you are looking at.

And also in the third picture.A warning in the first post would be good.

Whilst not trying to distract from this tragedy if anybody is upset by the pictures of bodies then don't buy a local newspaper in the Far East.

I remember another crash from the same company with no injuries some month ago.

Also remember they lost another AS350 some years ago with fatalities (came into contact with montain).

Nepal is not the only rough mountain environment out there so I would be courious to know why so much occurences over there?

You've got idiots trying to shin up big mountains; that's why.
If the Lord had meant us to climb mountains he wouldn't have given us the brains to invent helicopters.

So very sad.
When I heard it was a Fishtail 350, my heart skipped a beat.
Good to know that you're away from that scene now, VF.
Take care now, y'hear.

What's new? Try Africa.

Not only to do with aviation. I have spent a lot of time in Africa and the Far East and it is amazing how supposedly ordinary civil servants acquire expensive Mitsubishi or Nissan 4X4s and expensive houses just doing their normal job, as I'm sure you know.

Nepal aviation is a different case. It has the worst flying conditions in the World. High altitude leading to performance problems, weather condition leading to fine margins for safe operation and a demand for results as opposed to safe procedures.

There are compatible situations in other parts of the world, especially offshore support. The difference is that the Supervising Authority has been established for decades and is immune from outside sources. They say jump, the operators say how high.

Until, on your own admission, Nepal gets it's Governmental Act together then it will continue to go on.