A helicopter belonging to a private airline crash-landed near the Mount Everest region in Nepal on Wednesday morning due to heavy snowfall. According to reports, the pilot, who was the only person on board, escaped with minor injuries.
The Altitude Air helicopter had taken off from Lukla without passengers and was on a mission to rescue stranded tourists in Lobuchem, located in the Khumbu region, when the accident occurred. The chopper, piloted by Captain Vivek Khadka, reportedly slipped while attempting to land amid poor visibility and heavy snow, a police officer from the Solukhumbu District Police Office said.
An Altitude Air helicopter crash-landed near the Lobuche helipad in Nepal’s Everest region this morning, October 29, 2025, around a.m. during a landing attempt from Lukla. The solo pilot was the only occupant on board, escaping unharmed with no passengers involved, as… pic.twitter.com/4h1hJAA4AX
— AirPro News (@AirProNews) October 29, 2025
Although the aircraft broke into two pieces on impact, Captain Khadka did not sustain serious injuries. He was immediately airlifted to Lukla for a medical check-up and is said to be in stable condition, PTI reported.
The incident occurred as Nepal faces unseasonal weather conditions that have disrupted trekking and tourism activities across the Himalayas. Heavy snowfall has stranded many trekkers in popular mountain areas, including Mustang, the Annapurna region, and the Everest region.
Authorities have urged trekkers and climbers to exercise extreme caution as the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has predicted more snowfall and rain in various parts of the country, particularly in high-altitude zones.
Tourism activities on both the Nepali and Chinese sides of Mount Everest were temporarily halted on Wednesday after heavy snowfall blanketed the region. The severe weather is believed to have been triggered by a cyclone from the Bay of Bengal that moved across India earlier this week, bringing a fresh wave of snow to the Himalayas.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
