Two helicopters collide near Everest base camp, Indian tourist killed

Two helicopters collided while attempting to land at the Pheriche helipad in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district on the morning of November 3, 2026. The aircraft, an Airbus AS350 B3+ operated by Fishtail Air and an AS350 operated by Air Dynasty, struck each other at approximately 8:11 am local time. An Indian tourist, 47-year-old Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, died. A New Zealand national of Indian origin, Shailesh Krishna Patel, and both pilots sustained injuries and were airlifted to hospitals in Kathmandu.

Pheriche lies about 12 kilometres south of Mount Everest Base Camp at an altitude of roughly 4,200 metres. The Fishtail helicopter was returning from Gorakshep with two foreign passengers; the Air Dynasty aircraft was on a cargo flight from Lukla. Video footage shows the helicopters approaching the landing area from opposite directions and their rotor blades contacting. Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Gyanendra Bhul said the accident occurred when both tried to land at the same spot. Pheriche helipad lies outside the coverage of Lukla Airport’s air-traffic control, so pilots coordinate directly.

District police identified the deceased as Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu. The injured New Zealand passenger and the two Nepali pilots, Rabindra Prajapati of Fishtail Air and Prajwal KC of Air Dynasty, received treatment. The body was taken to a hospital in Lukla. Authorities launched an investigation. Preliminary indications point to possible miscommunication between the crews. The incident took place during the busy autumn trekking season, when helicopters regularly move tourists, supplies and rescue patients in the Everest region.

Helicopters provide essential access in an area without roads. They evacuate trekkers suffering from altitude sickness or exhaustion and deliver cargo to high camps. The collision occurred in good visibility on a wide, flat landing zone. Witnesses described people running toward the site after the aircraft came down. Both companies confirmed their aircraft were involved and that injured personnel were evacuated. The total number of people on board both helicopters has not been fully detailed beyond the known casualties.

Nepal has recorded several helicopter accidents in recent years, often linked to weather, terrain or operational factors in high-altitude zones. This case appears to involve a mid-air contact during a simultaneous landing attempt rather than weather. The Civil Aviation Authority will examine communication procedures, landing protocols and the absence of formal air-traffic control at the site. Families of the deceased and injured await further official findings.

The crash interrupts the normal flow of trekking support in the Khumbu region. Operators may review scheduling and radio procedures at uncontrolled helipads. Trekkers and operators rely on these flights for safety and logistics. The loss of one passenger and injuries to crew members underscore the residual risks of helicopter operations near the world’s highest peaks even in clear conditions.