KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) – The wreckage of a plane carrying 22 people missing in the mountains of Nepal was found scattered on a mountain slope on Monday, the army said. There was no talk of survivors.
The Tara Air Twin Otter turboprop was on a 20-minute flight Sunday when it lost contact with the airport tower while flying in an area of deep river gorges and mountain tops just before it was scheduled to land.
The army said the plane crashed in Sanosware, Mustang District, near the mountain town of Jomsom where it was heading after taking off from the resort town of Pokhara, 200 kilometers (125 miles) away. west of Kathmandu.
An aerial photo posted by the military on Twitter of the crash site showed parts of the plane scattered along the mountainside.
No other details were given.
The search for the plane had been suspended due to bad weather and darkness on Sunday night, but resumed on Monday.
According to flightradar24.com, the 43-year-old plane took off from Pokhara at 9:55 am (04:10 GMT) and transmitted its last signal at 10:07 am (04:22 GMT) ) at an altitude. of 12,825 feet (3,900 meters).
Four Indians and two Germans were on the plane. The three crew members and other passengers were of Nepalese nationality.
The destination of the plane is popular among foreign hikers who travel the mountain trails and also among Indian and Nepalese pilgrims visiting the revered Muktinath temple.
The Twin Otter, a rugged aircraft originally built by Canadian aircraft maker De Havilland, has been in service in Nepal for about 50 years, during which it has been involved in about 21 accidents, according to aviationnepal.com.
The aircraft, with the wing mounted at the top and the fixed landing gear, is appreciated for its durability and its ability to take off and land on short runways.
Production of the aircraft originally ended in the 1980s. Another Canadian company, Viking Air, re-produced the model in 2010.