A Summit Air airplane crashed while taking off from Lukla Airport on Sunday morning.
The incident occurred as the aircraft with registration 9N-AMH skidded off the the runway while preparing to take off and hit two helicopters parked at the Lukla-based helipad which is 30-50 metres from the runway.
The uncontrolled aircraft had hit the helicopters of Manang Air and Shree Air.
A Nepalese police spokesman said the two killed were the plane’s co-pilot and a police officer. The pilot of the plane, the pilot of the helicopter and another policeman were injured in the crash. The police officers were part of the tourist police deployed to the area. All five of them were Nepalese.
It has been reported that the Summit Air plane was en route to Kathmandu from Lukla.
Lukla airport is the nearest airport to the world’s highest peak, also known as Mount Qomolangma, while April-May is the peak climbing season in the Himalayan country.
