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World's Most Dangerous Airports: Runway of Death Strikes Again

Where: Lukla, Nepal
October 10, 2008 at 10:30 AM | by | Comment (1)

Don't say we didn't warn you: We did. On October 8, a plane crashed for the second time since 2005 at the tiny airport near Mt. Everest, killing 18.

The 19-seat Yeti Airlines plane had nearly completed its flight from Katmandu when it snagged its wheels on a security fence at Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal about 40 miles from Mount Everest Base Camp. Two Australians, two Nepalese and 12 tourists from Germany on a Hauser Exkursionen tour died. Only the pilot survived.

While the plane, a Twin Otter, is known for its ability to take off and land on short runways, the Lukla airport is one of the world's most notoriously dangerous. The runway ends in steep drop into the Himalayan valleys.

Yetin Giri, a pilot for the state-owned Nepal Airlines, told DPA:

In many airstrips across Nepal, we don't even have an air controller to guide us in, and we have to rely on a visual approach without the knowledge of surface wind of other conditions.

Wait, a visual approach... In the fog?! If this is our only alternative to getting across the mountain, we'll just hike it.

Related Stories:
· Plane Crash in Nepal [AFP]
· World's Most Dangerous Airports: Lukla Airport, Nepal [Jaunted]
· Everest's "Newest" Airport [Jaunted]

[Photo: faj2323]

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Flying into and out of Lukla

I have flown into Lukla two times and I have flown out of Lukla five times. I had hiked from Jira the other 3 times. The twin otter airplanes or their Chinese copies do well. Just accept the candy and hang on!!! Hey, what a ride!!
edeaton on May 22, 2012 at 12:45 AM #Permalink

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