Video | Passenger captures fatal plane crash in Nepal

Footage recorded by a passenger on board the airplane that crashed in Nepal on Sunday shows how the aircraft tilted sharply in the air seconds before crashing to the ground. The failed landing killed 69 of the 72 people on board, making it the country’s deadliest airplane accident in three decades. Using satellite images, Reuters new agency was able to confirm that the accident took place in Pokhara. Additionally, the headrests seen in the video also bear the Yeti Airlines logo and the wing configuration matches archival footage of the aircraft.

The Yeti Airlines ATR 72 plane took off from the capital, Kathmandu, and was destined to land in Nepal’s tourist city of Pokhara, the gateway to a popular hiking area in the Himalayas, after a 27-minute trip. A dramatic video shot on a smartphone from the ground shows the last moments before the plane crashed in a gorge about 1.6 kilometers (a mile) from newly opened Pokhara International Airport. The aircraft’s nose is noticeably high before the left wing suddenly drops and the plane falls out of sight of the video, indicating a likely stall, said Amit Singh, an experienced pilot and founder of India’s Safety Matters Foundation.

Yeti Airlines spokesman Pemba Sherpa said the cause of the crash was under investigation. Those on board the twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft included three infants and three children, the Civil Aviation Authority’s statement said.

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