Nepal’s Tara Air says three helicopters are searching for one of its Twin Otter aircraft that went missing after take-off from Pokhara airport on 24 February.
In a statement, the airline says the Viking Air DHC-6-400, registered 9N-AHH, was on the Pokhara-Jomsom route, when it went missing. It took off from the airport at 07:50 local time.
It adds that weather at both origin and destination were “favourable” and that the aircraft was cleared for departure by the control tower at Pokhara airport.
“We have dispatched three helicopters on a search and rescue mission. We will provide further updates as soon as we receive further information,” it adds.
The airline also released a passenger manifest, listing 20 passengers, of which two are infants. A company spokesperson had earlier told Flightglobal that there were also three crew aboard the 20-minute flight. Pokhara is a resort town west of Kathmandu and Jomsom is a popular starting point for treks in the mountainous country.
Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer shows that the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-35-powered aircraft, was built in 2015 and is owned by Tara Air. The airline has seven turboprops in service, of which three are Bombardier (de Havilland) DHC-6-300s, two are the -400s and another two are Dornier Do-228s.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
