Two helicopters collided in mid-air near Everest base camp while attempting to land at Pheriche, a Nepali village at 13,780 feet above sea level. Fishtail Air said the crash killed an Indian tourist and injured the first helicopter's captain and another passenger. The second helicopter's pilot escaped uninjured. The second chopper carried only cargo.
Video shows a red helicopter descending and rotating to land when a second helicopter entered the frame. Both pilots attempted evasive action too late. The second helicopter's main rotor blades struck the other aircraft, severing its tail boom. Both helicopters fell into snowy terrain. Bystanders on the ground scrambled away but none were struck or injured.
The collision occurred in clear weather conditions. According to the BBC, helicopters are the only way to evacuate trekkers and guides from Everest when they are sick or exhausted. The crash happened during the tail end of the mountain's autumn climbing season.
Flights to Everest typically depart from Tenzing-Hillary Airport, named after the first mountaineers to summit the peak. The BBC describes it as the world's most dangerous airport because of its 1,729-foot runway with a 12 percent gradient and a mountain wall at one end. Terrain prevents pilots from circling despite rapidly shifting weather.