Bad weather crashed US Marine chopper in Nepal: Report

The US Marine Corps helicopter crash that killed 13 people in Nepal during a quake-relief mission in May was due to inclement weather and the geography, a probe committee that investigated the tragedy said today.
The 15-member committee, formed to investigate the crash of UH-1Y Huey military chopper in Gorthali of Sindhupalchowk district on May 12, blamed the geography and bad weather for the mishap in its report.
The chopper suddenly entered into the Instrument Meteorological Condition and crashed on a hard rock situated in the west of the 11,200 ft high Kalinchok hill in Sindhupalchowk, the report said.
The report was submitted by the task force under Nepal Army Brigadier General Pilot Sudheer Shrestha. Shrestha handed over the report to Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation Kripasur Sherpa.

Six US marines, two Nepal Army soldiers and five survivors of the 7.9M earthquake on April 25 were killed in the crash.
The committee comprising experts from Nepal and the US was formed on May 20 at the direction of Chief of Army Staff Gaurav SJB Rana, said a statement issued by Nepal Army today.

The probe panel has recommended certain safety measures in order to avert such accidents in the future.
The earthquake and a major aftershock on May 12 killed nearly 9,000 people, injured 23,000 people and damaged more than 500,000 buildings in Nepal.
At least 330 aftershocks with 4 or more magnitude have been recorded since the first temblor.