Australian feared dead in Nepal plane crash identified, tragic twist of fate for co-pilot

The co-pilot of the doomed Yeti Airlines flight lost her husband in a plane crash, it has been revealed, as Australian authorities desperately seek news on the welfare of a Sydney man who was on board.

Nepali co-pilot Anju Khatiwada and Australian Myron Love were both on the Yeti Airlines plane that crashed in Nepal on Sunday. Source: Supplied, Instagram

An Australian feared dead in Nepal's worst plane crash in 30 years has been named by Nepalese authorities as Myron Love.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has released the Yeti Airlines flight's passenger manifest on which Mr Love's name is listed, but Australian authorities are yet to confirm if he is one of the deceased, saying they are desperately seeking news on his welfare.

Australian media report Mr Love was a Sydney teacher who was passionate about travelling. He had reportedly been holidaying through Asia when he boarded the doomed flight.

The ATR 72 plane nose-dived into a gorge and caught fire moments before landing in Pokhara's brand-new airport on Sunday. Rescuers battled cloudy weather and poor visibility on Monday as they scoured the river gorge for passengers who remained unaccounted for.

Sixty-eight bodies have now been recovered.

The plane, on a scheduled flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara, gateway to the scenic Annapurna mountain range, was carrying 57 Nepalis, five Indians, four Russians, two South Koreans, and one person each from Argentina, Ireland, Australia and France.

Pilot couple killed — 16 years apart

Tributes have been paid to the Nepali co-pilot of the Yeti Airlines plane, Anju Khatiwada, who has tragically followed in the footsteps of her husband, a pilot who had died in a crash more than a decade earlier when his passenger plane went down minutes before landing.

"Her husband, Dipak Pokhrel, died in 2006 in a crash of a Twin Otter plane of Yeti Airlines in Jumla," airline spokesman Sudarshan Bartaula told news agency Reuters, referring to Ms Khatiwada. "She got her pilot training with the money she got from the insurance after her husband's death."

Co-pilot Anju Khatiwada, who died in the Yeti Airlines crash on Sunday, was passionate about flying, her friend says. Source: Supplied

Ms Khatiwada was an experienced co-pilot who had notched up more than 6,400 hours of flying time, Mr Bartaula said. Captain of the flight, Kamal KC, who had more than 21,900 hours of flying time, also perished in the crash.

Mr Bataula described Ms Khatiwada as "always ready to take up any duty", while SBS Nepali journalist Sameer Ghimire, a childhood friend, described her "a brave and fearless girl, who stood up to raw challenges that life threw at her".

Mr Ghimire and Ms Khatiwada grew up in the same neighbourhood of Biratnagar, a city close to Nepal's southeastern border with India, and both attended St Joseph's secondary school.

"I am devastated by the tragic crash ... Anju was not only my classmate all through my school years, but she was also a neighbour, who lived few blocks away from the house I grew up.

"She was full of self-belief and was a very fun-loving person. There were only a few girls flying planes back home so she was also a source of inspiration."

Black boxes found

Searchers on Monday found the doomed plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, whose data may help investigators determine what caused the ATR 72 aircraft to crash in clear weather.

Both recorders were in good shape and would be sent for analysis based on the recommendation of the manufacturer, Teknath Sitaula, an official at the Kathmandu airport, told Reuters on Monday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday described the disaster as "incredibly sad news".

"The government is aware an Australian was on board and is urgently seeking information from Nepalese officials on the welfare of that passenger," he tweeted.

On Monday afternoon, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was providing consular support to the family of the Australian on board but he couldn't provide any more details.

"Our hearts go out to all of the families of the crew and passengers of the Yeti Airlines flight which crashed in Nepal. Our thoughts are with the people of Nepal as well," he added.

The tragedy was the Himalayan nation’s deadliest plane crash in 30 years, officials said.

Nepal has declared a day of national mourning on Monday and set up a panel to investigate the disaster and suggest measures to avoid such incidents in future.

Authorities said bodies will be handed over to families after identification and examination.

A plane making a 27-minute flight to a Nepal tourist town crashed into a gorge Sunday while attempting to land at a newly opened airport, killing at least 68 of the 72 people aboard. Source: AAP / Yunish Gurung/AP

Nearly 350 people have died since 2000 in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal — home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Everest — where sudden weather changes can make for hazardous conditions.

In 1992 a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside upon approach to Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board.

The European Union has banned Nepali airlines from its airspace since 2013, citing safety concerns.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said on Twitter the Yeti Airlines aircraft was 15 years old and equipped with an old transponder with unreliable data.

"Half of the plane is on the hillside," said Arun Tamu, a local resident, who told Reuters he reached the site minutes after the plane went down. "The other half has fallen into the gorge of the Seti river."

Khum Bahadur Chhetri, another local resident, said he watched from the roof of his house as the flight approached.

"I saw the plane trembling, moving left and right, and then suddenly it nosedived and it went into the gorge."