Mountain Air chopper makes force-landing in Solukhumbu

KATHMANDU: A Mountain Air helicopter made a force-landing at Chisa Khola in Solukhumbu immediately after taking off from Juving village to Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla on Sunday morning.

Bachchu Ram Shrestha, Manager at the Lukla Airport said that the crew decided to force-land the chopper after receiving a warning of engine failure.

The chopper was there to rescue a local patient.

The chopper, EC-130 B4, was piloted by captain Suraj Thapa.

The captain immediately force-landed the chopper along with four passengers including a patient, immediately after it took off for Lukla.

All the four passengers and two crew members were safe, according to Shrestha.

Another chopper has been sent to rescue all six from Chisa Khola area.