Eurocopter AS350B3e crash near Pheriche helipad, Solukhumbu, Nepal

Airbus H125 9N-AOD of Air Dynasty Heli Service, on a cargo flight from Lukla. The number aboard was not reported, and none of its occupants is among the named casualties. Two helicopters collided at about 08:12 while both were two to three metres above the Pheriche helipad in Solukhumbu, at roughly 4,371 metres. The rotor blades of the Fishtail Air machine struck the passenger compartment windows of the Air Dynasty machine. Air Dynasty's 9N-AOD had flown from Lukla on a cargo flight and was descending to land, reportedly rapidly and despite warnings from ground staff, according to widely shared video. Fishtail Air's 9N-AJR had come from Gorakshep and was landing from the opposite direction. Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, an Indian national aboard the Fishtail Air helicopter, was killed. Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealander, and Fishtail Air's pilot in command Rabindra Pradhan were injured and flown to Kathmandu. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal says the cause is not established, and its director general said preliminary reports suggest miscommunication between the pilots, the area lying outside Lukla tower coverage so that crews coordinate directly. It is believed to be Nepal's first midair helicopter collision. Each aircraft is recorded separately, so this collision appears as two entries.