Nepal's Manang Air Helicopter Crashes, Injuring Pilot

A helicopter from Nepal's Manang Air crashed in a mountainous region on Saturday, injuring its pilot, a senior official of the country's Civil Aviation Authority has said.

The chopper 9N ANJ, which had taken off from Lukla near the Everest base camp to pick up passengers, slightly overturned and caught fire while attempting to land in Lobuche in north-east Nepal, said Jagannath Niraula, deputy director at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Pilot Prakash Sedhai, who was the only person in it, sustained injuries, the officer said, adding that the injured pilot had been airlifted to Kathmandu for medical treatment. The reason for the crash has not been ascertained yet.

Six people were killed in July after a Manang Air chopper crashed at Lamjura in Likhupike Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district.

The chopper, with Captain Chet Bahadur Gurung and five Mexican nationals aboard, had gone out of contact on the morning of July 11 and was later found crashed at Chihandanda of Lamjura, which lies between Jiri and Phaplu.

Founded in 1997, Manang Air is a helicopter airline based in Kathmandu. It operates helicopters for commercial air transportation within the Nepalese territory under the regulation of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

The company is also known for providing chartered services and is focused on personalized services such as adventure flights, helicopter excursions, or expedition work.