Twin Otter Aircraft that Cashed in Nepal was 43 Years Old

Nepal’s Tara Air turboprop Twin Otter that crashed on Sunday killing most people on board was 43 years old.

The aircraft took off from the resort town of Pokhara at 9:55 a.m. (04:10 GMT), 200km west of capital Kathmandu before it hit the ground minutes later. It transmitted its last signal at 10.07 a.m., flying in an area of deep river gorges and mountaintops (04:22 GMT). The plane was headed to mountain town of Jomsom but crashed in Sanosware in Mustang district.

The plane's destination is popular with foreign hikers who trek the mountain trails and also with Indian and Nepalese pilgrims who visit the revered Muktinath temple.

Manufactured by Canadian company De Havilland, the Twin Otter has been in service in Nepal for about 50 years, during which it has been reportedly involved in about 21 accidents. The aircraft has a top-mounted wing and fixed landing gear. It is prized for its durability and its ability to take off and land on short runways.

Production of the planes originally ended in the 1980s. In 2010, another Canadian company, Viking Air, brought the model back into production.