KATHMANDU, July 11: Manang Air helicopter pilot Chet Bahadur Gurung flew from Solukhumbu to Kathmandu on Tuesday morning. He had flown helicopters for nearly 7,000 hours in the Nepali skies.

Gurung, who managed to survive an earlier accident, passed away in Tuesday's accident. He hailed from Pokhara, Kaski, and ended his life in Solukhumbu.

The helicopter lost contact shortly after takeoff and was found crashed in Likhupike Rural Municipality-5, Lamjura, Solukhumbu. According to Nepal Police, all six people on board the helicopter died in the accident. Also, all five Mexican nationals who died have been identified as Sifuentes G. Fernando (95) and Sifuentes Rincon Ismail (98), both males, along with three females, namely Sifuentes Gongalez Abril (72), Gongalez Olacio Luz (65) and Sifuentes G. Maria Jese (52) were on board the helicopter with him.

Gurung, 55, was considered an experienced pilot. He joined Manang Air in 2014. Raju Neupane Gurung, flight safety manager of Manang Air, says that this flight was a regular one for him.

Neupane says, “Pilot Chet Bahadur Gurung joined Manang Air in 2014. Before that, he started onboarding flights continuously from 1997/98.

Prior to joining Manang Air, Gurung had flown for MI-17 Helicopters, Gorkha Airlines, Sri Airlines. Neupane informed Republica that Gurung also flew overseas while he was with Shree Airlines.

The government is going to form an inquiry committee to investigate the Manang Air helicopter crash that took place on Tuesday.

 
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