Twin Otter Crashes on Approach to Lukla, 18 Killed
| Event date | 8 October 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla |
| Type | Aviation incident |
| Deaths | 18 of 19 on board |
| Survivors | 1 (the captain) |
| Verification | Verified |
| Status | Historical / closed |
A Yeti Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otter (registration 9N-AFE) flying from Kathmandu crashed while landing at Lukla in poor visibility during the busy autumn trekking season. Eighteen of the nineteen people on board died; the captain was the only survivor.
Investigators found the aircraft came in too low and too far left on final approach, and its landing gear caught the airport’s perimeter fence. They pointed to the crew misjudging how fast the weather was closing in, and also listed the airport not being closed despite the conditions and weaknesses in the airline’s crew training and oversight.
Lukla’s short, sloping runway ends against a hillside and has no go-around option once a landing is committed, which is why weather decisions there matter so much. Most trekkers and climbers bound for Everest still fly in or out through it.
Sources
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Written in Merolog’s own words from the sources listed; where sources disagree, each figure is attributed rather than merged. Spotted an error or a newer figure? Leave a comment on this entry.