Indian National Killed, Two Injured as Two Helicopters Collide While Landing at Pheriche in Nepal's Everest Region

Two helicopters collided while attempting to land at a helipad in Pheriche, in Solukhumbu district of Nepal's Everest region, at around 8:12 am on Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said. Pheriche is a popular stop for trekkers and climbers at an altitude of approximately 4,371 metres. An Indian national, identified as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, who was aboard a Fishtail Air helicopter, was killed.

Shailesh Krishna Patel, a New Zealander of Indian origin, and Rabindra Pradhan, the Fishtail Air helicopter's pilot-in-command, were injured and airlifted to Nepal Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu. According to the authority's statement, an AS350 registered 9N-AOD, operated by Air Dynasty Heli Service Pvt Ltd, had flown from Lukla Airport to a helipad in Solukhumbu on a cargo flight. The other AS350, registered 9N-AJR and operated by Fishtail Air Pvt Ltd, had taken off from Gorakshep in Solukhumbu carrying two foreign nationals.

A video circulating on social media shows the Fishtail Air helicopter descending rapidly despite warnings from ground staff and colliding with the Air Dynasty helicopter, which was approaching to land from the opposite direction. The rotor blades of the Air Dynasty helicopter struck the passenger compartment windows of the Fishtail Air helicopter while both were still 2–3 metres above the ground.

The exact cause has not been determined. Mukesh Dangol, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said preliminary reports suggest miscommunication between the pilots.

In July 2023, a Manang Air AS350 B3e helicopter crashed in the Lamajura area of Solukhumbu district, killing all six on board: five Mexican tourists and Nepali pilot Captain Chet Bahadur Gurung. At least 22 fatal helicopter crashes have occurred in Nepal since records began in 1966.

On December 12, 2025, the local municipality and Sagarmatha National Park issued directives restricting sightseeing helicopter flights over the park, exempting rescue operations, with the restrictions scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. Local communities say flight numbers have reached unsustainable levels and disturb schools, offices and wildlife, while the tourism industry warns a ban on sightseeing flights could harm Nepal's high-end tourism.

A collision between two helicopters from different operators, both close to the ground at a shared high-altitude landing site, points to a coordination problem rather than a single-aircraft failure. When several operators serve one helipad with a mix of cargo, trekking and charter flights, separation depends on radio calls and ground staff, and the preliminary talk of miscommunication between pilots fits that picture. The cause is still undetermined, so that remains a working assessment.

The accident also lands in the middle of a dispute that was already live. Local communities describe flight volumes as unsustainable, and the tourism industry argues that curbs on sightseeing flights would hurt high-end travel. A fatal collision at a landing site gives the community side a concrete safety case, while operators have an interest in showing that rescue and logistics flights, which the restrictions exempt, remain essential.

The next fixed point is the investigation into the miscommunication assessment, along with any change to how landing sequences at Everest-region helipads are managed.