Two helicopters collide near Mount Everest base camp, killing Indian tourist

Two helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided near Mount Everest base camp in Pheriche, Nepal, on November 3, 2026. The crash killed 47-year-old Indian tourist Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu and injured New Zealand tourist Shailesh Krishna Patel alongside both pilots. Authorities report clear weather at the 4,200-meter landing site, pointing to potential technical glitches or simultaneous landing attempts as cause.

Details of the helicopter collision

• ▪Two helicopters, operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty, collided while attempting to land
• ▪The November 3 helicopter collision occurred in Pheriche at an altitude of approximately 4,200 meters, a key stop on the trekking route to Mount Everest Base Camp
• ▪The Fishtail Air helicopter in the November 3 Pheriche collision was carrying two foreign passengers returning from the Mount Everest region, while the Air Dynasty helicopter was carrying cargo

Investigation into the collision cause

• ▪Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal spokesman Gyanendra Bhul stated that the accident near Mount Everest base camp on November 3 appeared to occur when both helicopters attempted to land at the exact same spot
• ▪Video footage of the November 3 Pheriche collision shows the helicopter blades clipping each other during landing under clear weather conditions, with one aircraft descending more rapidly
• ▪Solukhumbu Chief Development Officer Kaman Singh Thapa Magar and Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle stated that clear weather at the time suggests a technical glitch likely caused the November 3 helicopter collision in Pheriche

Fatality of Indian tourist

• ▪Indian tourist Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, 47, from Chennai, died on the spot in the November 3, 2026, helicopter collision at Pheriche
• ▪The body of Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu is at Lukla for transfer to Kathmandu before being handed over to Indian authorities

Injuries to passenger and pilots

• ▪New Zealand tourist Shailesh Krishna Patel, 49, suffered serious injuries in the crash and was evacuated to Nepal Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu
• ▪Pilots Rabindra Prajapati of Fishtail Air and Prajwal KC of Air Dynasty sustained injuries in the November 3 helicopter collision near Pheriche and received medical treatment