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Investigation of meteorological condition during the air dynasty helicopter crash-2019 in Nepal using the WRF model

Author

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  • Saroj Pudasainee

    (Government of Nepal
    Tribhuvan University)

  • Ram Hari Acharya

    (Tribhuvan University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Rocky Talchabhadel

    (Jackson State University)

  • Dibas Shrestha

    (Tribhuvan University)

  • Binod Dawadi

    (Tribhuvan University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tribhuvan University)

Abstract

Mountain flights in Nepal remain a considerable challenge due to the region’s complex topography and unfavorable weather conditions, which have been associated with many aircraft accidents. However, detailed meteorological analyses of these accidents are often lacking. This research aims to investigate the prevailing meteorological conditions and reliable forecasts that may have developed over the complex topography of the high-hills during the Airbus helicopter H15 (AS350B3e), 9 N-AMI accident that occurred on 27 February 2019 in Koshi Province, Nepal. The crash resulted in the deaths of all seven Nepalese on board, including the Captain and the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal (GoN), just minutes after takeoff from Pathivara, en-route to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu. To explore the meteorological factors involved in this tragic incident, weather conditions at the time of crash were evaluated using surface and satellite observations, along with output from the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model. The prevailing weather conditions during the crash, including low ceiling with cloud base, light to moderate snowfall, poor visibility, below-freezing temperatures, and a high amount of water droplets, suggest possible icing on rotor may have been a major contributing factor to the crash. These findings demonstrate that the WRF-ARW model can effectively simulate weather conditions and may be a valuable tool for improving aviation safety in such challenging environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Saroj Pudasainee & Ram Hari Acharya & Rocky Talchabhadel & Dibas Shrestha & Binod Dawadi, 2025. "Investigation of meteorological condition during the air dynasty helicopter crash-2019 in Nepal using the WRF model," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 121(16), pages 18997-19016, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:121:y:2025:i:16:d:10.1007_s11069-025-07553-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-025-07553-0
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