Plane crash in Nepal
 

Just seen a news report of a plane crashing shortly after take off from Katmandu. Apparently there are 19 dead.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19762446

Our thoughts are with the families of those poor people

Yes, very sad. That flight to/from the airport near Everest is one of the most difficult and dangerous.

very sad, but this is exactly why we decided against such a trip. small airlines and tour airlines are beyond MY tollerance, no matter how beautiful the views are.

Tragic. Makes me feel even more fortunate that I got to do the view Everest flight safely.

We flew from Kath to Paro, Bhutan. I thought the dangerous part was landing in Paro. Good that I only worried part of the time. Everytime we fly, drive, cruise we take a chance, but that is part of life. Our prayers are with their families. You need to be lucky!

They were flying on the domestic Nepal airline between Kathmandu and Lukla, considered to be one of the most dangerous flights in the world. Remember last year people were stuck in Lukla for a week or more because planes couldn't land? These are different planes and different pilots than the Everest flightseeing flights which are not nearly so dangerous.

It has a lot more to do with the airlines' operation than geography. The plane crashed at Kathmandu after all, and not Lukla. If the Swiss had been running the flights and airport, you won't find 1/10th of the accidents.

It's a risk one has to assess when traveling to less developed places.

Tragic and my thoughts are with their families.

Flying in the Himalayas is much more difficult than anywhere else, including Switzerland. The Himalayas are at least 1 1/2 times higher than the Alps. The air is thinner and the areas are also much more remote.
Flying into Kathmandu airport--there is a narrow entrance into the Kathmandu valley itself, a short runway to land as soon as you clear the mountain range, and changing weather conditions due to the altitude. It's a risky flight in and out of Kathmandu --- but life is all about risks, isn't it? (the runway at Kathmandu airport has been increased in length and now is able to land bigger planes---but the entrance to the valley is just as narrow as before). Pilots flying in the Himalayas are not your run of the mill pilots , so to speak. They are not flying in and out of major airports or using the latest planes over long distance flights. But they do fly people in and out of Everest base camp--- no airport there, by the way. And to many other mountain towns. Just saying!