Two helicopters collide at Pheriche in Nepal's Everest region

Two helicopters collided while landing at the Pheriche helipad in Nepal's Everest region on Tuesday 3 November 2026, killing a 47-year-old Indian tourist and injuring others, according to AeroTime and Simple Flying. The crash happened during the busy autumn trekking season, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is investigating.

What happened at Pheriche

AeroTime reports that the Solukhumbu District Police Office identified the victim as a 47-year-old Indian national from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The injured were a New Zealand citizen of Indian origin travelling on the same helicopter and the pilots of both aircraft, according to AeroTime. Police initially listed only one injured person before revising the count to three. Simple Flying, citing earlier reports, mentions two injured: a New Zealand passenger and a Nepali pilot. The sources therefore differ on the number injured.

Both aircraft were Airbus AS350 helicopters, according to CAAN as cited by AeroTime. An Air Dynasty helicopter, registered 9N-AOD, arrived from Lukla carrying no passengers; Simple Flying says it was on a cargo flight. A Fishtail Air helicopter, 9N-AJR, was arriving from Gorakshep with two foreign passengers. The time of the collision was given as 8:11am local time by police and 8:12am by CAAN. No fire broke out, AeroTime says.

Simple Flying, citing The Kathmandu Post, reports the helicopters approached the helipad from opposite directions and that their rotors clipped when they were still around 2-3 metres above the ground. It also cites BBC-verified footage showing the rotor blades making contact. The victim's body was flown to Lukla before transfer to Kathmandu for a post-mortem, and the injured were evacuated by air for treatment, according to AeroTime.

Possible cause

The cause has not been determined. Simple Flying quotes CAAN director general Mukesh Dangol, speaking to The Kathmandu Post: "Preliminary reports suggest miscommunication between the pilots." He said the area lies outside the coverage of Lukla Airport's air traffic control tower, so pilots must coordinate directly with one another.

Safety record and context

Pheriche sits at about 4,200 metres (13,780 feet) on the main trekking route to Everest base camp. With little road access in the Khumbu region, helicopters carry passengers and supplies and evacuate trekkers with altitude sickness or exhaustion.

AeroTime notes a late-2025 government committee report that recorded 40 helicopter crashes and 92 deaths over 63 years of helicopter operations in Nepal, and concluded that efforts to strengthen oversight had fallen short. Both outlets recall the July 2023 Manang Air crash in Solukhumbu that killed five Mexican tourists and the pilot. Simple Flying adds that restrictions on sightseeing flights over Sagarmatha National Park, except rescue operations, were due to take effect on 1 January 2026.

What this means for travellers

• No flight bans or operator suspensions were reported in the sources, so the effect on other Everest-region helicopter services is not yet known.
• Travellers booking helicopter transfers or evacuations in the Khumbu should ask operators how they coordinate landings at uncontrolled helipads such as Pheriche.
• Check that your travel insurance covers helicopter evacuation and high-altitude trekking.
• Expect possible changes to landing procedures if the CAAN investigation finds a communication failure, though no such measures have been announced.

Sources: Simple Flying; AeroTime.