Two helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided during landing at Pheriche helipad, leaving an Indian tourist dead and several others injured.
An Indian tourist was killed and several people injured after two helicopters collided at a high-altitude helipad in Nepal’s Himalayas on Tuesday morning.
The accident occurred at Pheriche helipad, located approximately 4,200 meters above sea level, when aircraft operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided during landing operations.
The deceased was identified as 47-year-old Vasanth Kumar Balaramaramadu, a resident of Chennai, India.
A New Zealand citizen of Indian origin, two Nepalese pilots and other individuals were also injured in the collision. Rescue teams airlifted the injured to hospitals for medical treatment.
According to preliminary reports, one helicopter was carrying passengers while the other was transporting cargo when the accident occurred.
TWO HELICOPTERS COLLIDE NEAR EVEREST BASE CAMP; ONE FOREIGNER KILLED
Scary footage this morning.
Two helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and Air Dynasty collided while attempting to land at Pheriche in Nepal’s Everest region
One foreign passenger was killed and another person injured. The crash occurred around 8:15 AM (local time)
The cause is under investigation.
— Subodh Kumar (@kumarsubodh_) November 3, 2026
Nepal Police and aviation authorities have launched an investigation to establish the cause of the collision.
Helicopter operations in Nepal’s mountainous regions are particularly challenging because of high altitudes, rapidly changing weather conditions, limited landing areas and difficult terrain.
Pheriche is a popular stopover for trekkers and climbers travelling towards Everest Base Camp, making helicopter services an important part of rescue, medical evacuation and transportation operations in the region.
Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the landing operations and determine what caused the two aircraft to collide.
