In a sense, yes, but I think it is more of mechanical error due to human's error in the inspection of the plane. These are small company and if you have been travel as many times as me, you will find out that sometimes they just cheap out to save more money.

Safety is high on the list, but making profit is even higher. I rode some boat that I am not sure if they can even last another trip with all the patch work.

The accident is NOT CLEARLY human error. Most airlines and pilots carry enough fuel to make their destination plus 30 to 45 minutes of reserve fuel. Do you know how far the landing airport was from the departure airport? Carrying excess fuel is costly. Do you know the range of the dornier? Did the aircraft have fuel dump capabilities. Many aircraft do not have that capability/ So lets wait until they have more details first before laying blame on the pilot or anything else.

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but there are still many unknowns. The pilot may have been draining the tanks but not enough time had elapsed for them to be empty. They don't drain instantly, you know. Besides, if the cockpit had been on fire, it's almost impossible to do what may need to be done when you are on fire or are being burned. Instead of jumping to an instant conclusion that you have no facts to support, it may be best to wait on the investigation rather than place blame where it may not belong. From what I read, it sounds like the pilot was doing all he could to land anywhere safely as quickly as possible.

The pilot may not have had time to dump fuel or do much of anything else. That plane may not have even had fuel dumping capability. Engine or control failure during takeoff, especially on a twin, is one of the most dangerous scenarios in aviation aside from an in-flight fire. Cant blame human error so quickly. No one really knows what happened yet. Time will tell. Two minutes after takeoff isn't a lot of time when something bad happens. Prayers for the souls on board....

The one thing that is known is that you're apt to get to your destination alive if you walk.

First of all,let me say I find it rather insensitive to open the article with a photo of the plane burning. I don't think that is something that I would want to see and then discover it was the plane one of my family or friends was on and I had yet to be notified of the incident.

Actually,7.62X39mm, you are LESS likely to arrive uninjured by walking instead of flying if it is a trip of sufficent length to make flying a viable alternative. Even so, I havent been on an airplane, excepting static displays, since 1971 and I'm sure as hell not going to fly on one ever again. Not even with a parachute.

Accidentally overloaded would be my guess.. This is a big problem in the third world along with poor fuel and poor maintenance oversight.. All adds up to a lack of peak horsepower to pull the load.. Depending on how competent their commercial aviation bearu is we may never know..

The Dornier twin engine plane, unlike large commercial jets, does not have the capability to dump fuel while airborne. It would also -- if the plane even had that capability -- have taken 15 minutes or more to dump even the small amount of fuel (comparatively speaking) that the Dornier was carrying. Possible engine or electrical problem and unavoidable crash landing. By the way, this airline has an impeccable safety rating and their mechanics are top notch and very experienced. The locality is extreme and it is impossible to really say what happened at this point in time.

V,nuget - You must be physic to know it was clearly hunan error. More like physco thinking you know more than the trained experts that will probaly take weeks to figure out what caused this tragedy. My condolences to all who lost loved ones.

This was an emergency situation. The pilot had turned the plane around in an attampt to reach to departure airfiled but whatever caused the emergency progressed to the pioint where the pilot was unable to maintain altitude and crashed 547 yards from the airport (runway???). And accidentally overloaded would have been realized during the tsake off roll and climb out. Once airborne and the climb out speed is reached, maintaining attitude will keep the aircraft aloft. Weight would most likely not have enabled the pilot to make the runway unless they were in an engine out circumstance. Do go blaming the pilot(s) until the facts are known.

Are these planes maintence schedules being outsourced to China like American Airlines?

When receptionists don't do their jobs, people miss their appointments, but when mechanics and pilots fail, people lose their lives.

The plane was only two minutes into its trip, the problem is believed been caused by a bird hit, with bird being a vulture. So given that, and the fact it crashed 500 metres from the airport, how can you say human error, and that they should have dumped fuel, where over the city below.

You cant "dump" fuel from a Dornier 228.....

Human error?

The only human error I see is people posting that haven`t a clue about the aircraft, the airport location or the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Take your speculation somewhere else and let the investigation determine the cause...

"The plane may have engine and/or control problem(s), but it was full of fuel. The pilots had the time to turn the plane around for an emergency landing at the originating airport. If the pilot had drained the fuel tank(s) before landing, the plane may be safely landed at the airport because it would be lighter!!! This accident is clearly a human error." - V. Nugent

Wow, V. Nugent, that is utterly facinating that you have all the answers. Let me guess: You are a retired test pilot with 10 bazillion hours flying time in, um, a bazillion different aircraft types. Am I close?

I couldn't help with the sarcasm. Appologies and condolences to the families of the victims.

As a pilot, I am very interested in learning the circumstances of this accident. While Katmandu has tall mountains in the vicinity, the airport itself isn't at a very high altitude (4400 feet). Even with an engine problem the crew shouldn't have had a problem remaining clear of terrain on a remaining operational engine. Something was very wrong with this flight. And, maybe, it wasn't the crew.

Oh, and roadrunnerO: I have seen your posts in a number of places lately. Let me say that you have an UNCANNY ability to demonstrate your lack of knowledge about ANYTHING. Congrats.

Really,Daniel? Tin Buck Too? Jimmy rigged? (it's Timbucktoo and juryrigged) Every third word or phrase capitalized? What are you, in like the third grade? If those were intentional errors (which I seriously doubt) they only make you appear ignorant to an extreme degree. Idiot.

Kiss my butt magic rat your a troll and a bully picking on someone that wrote a comment.

Your comment is so eloquently written it shows your a paranoid pie hole tub of lard that sits

around criticizing nice people. I would like to see your ugly fat ass tell me this in person you

Yellowed bellied bully. BTW it's Jimmy Rigged when a shade tree mechanic uses duct tape to repair

something. not juryrigged you fat ass pie hole, go do your thing with 5 finger mary you bully punk.

Actually, Magic Rat, Timbuktu (as is now the common spelling), in the Tombouctou region, was formerly spelled Timbuctoo and Timbuktoo. In the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, it had a population of 54,453 in the 2009 census. The intention of this information is offered to you for future reference, and meant in kind.

What Daniel lacked in proper spelling and sentence structure, YOU appear to lack in manners. May I gently remind you what I learned before third grade? Try to be kind and understanding - in all things.

Nepal isn't Timbuktu.

Tribhuvan International Airport (Nepali: त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थल, IATA: KTM, ICAO: VNKT) is an international airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is the sole international airport in Nepal and has one domestic terminal and one international. Radisson Hotel Kathmandu operates an executive lounge for first and business class passengers for some airlines and Thai Airways International operates a business lounge for its business-class passengers, as well as Star Alliance Gold card holders. A recent extension to the international terminal has made the distance to the airplanes shorter. At present, about 30 international airlines connect Nepal to destinations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The airport is about six kilometres from the city centre, in the Kathmandu valley.

Hay MR, Looks like you stuck a nerve with Daniel.

And stlveg - you think Daniels vulgar, hateful, denigrating resonse is acceptable?

Just wondering what the standards are.

In answer to your question, Rob, yes I have. I don't have a problem with it. Well, but then the seat pitch on China Southern A320's is rather poor...

Glad to hear that I'm nuts. In fact, I've been on this very flight (from Kathmandu to Lukla, and then back) before. The problem isn't the "third world" crew - most of the pilots are very well trained, especially since this is considered an especially dangerous flying route (the Lukla airport is one the world's most dangerous, mainly for its very short runway and placement on the edge of a cliff. Even so, accidents are relatively rare.)

No your a fat ass bully troll like magic rat. You don't have a life.

Suck it up, look in the mirror your a worthless POS.

Daniel, please go troll a site that doesn't address a tragic incident.

Daniel is close to getting banned/deleted.

You really need to get a grip on reality. Flight 93 hit the ground at around 500mph This small plane crash hit the ground just as it was taking off and probably under 200 mph and not straight into the ground.

You should really research flight 93 crash site a little more, there were actually all kinds of debris that rained down on the surrounding trees. Full of wires and little bits of airplane. That rumour that there was no evidence of the flight 93 crash is completely bogus, but there was not a lot of large parts left.

That's what happens with a nose dive straight into the ground at around 500 mph and accelerating. It was an unusual event that has no comparison in past crashes. Same with the two that crashed into the World Trade Centers. And BTW, there was plenty of wreckage at the Pentagon, even though the conspiracy theorists would have you believe that there was none. Also, bits of previously large airplanes where found all over lower Manhatten that day too. Another fact that the conspiracy theorists don't point out.

Your screen name says it all I`m afraid...

You're being just a tad arrogant and presumptuous here.

First of all, saying you don’t feel sorry for people who die in a plane crash just because they enjoy different things than you makes you look rather pathetic, and sad, and uncompassionate. Second, it’s very likely that most of the people on the plane had no intention to climb Mt. Everest. You just assume they did because you're ignorant and know nothing about the area.

The Khumbu region of Nepal—where Everest is located—receives thousands of visitors every year. It's a trekker's paradise. A vast majority of those thousands don’t go there to climb Everest. Lukla - where the plane was headed - is a week's trek from the Everest base camp, and many aren't even planning to go there. My only goal when I went was to catch a glimpse of Everest (and I did, from the town of Namche Bazar.)

For the record, I'm no adrenaline junkie – in fact, I’m afraid of pretty much any type of “extreme” sporting, including any sort of hiking that requires rock climbing, walking across glaciers, or any other dangerous activity.

But go ahead, keep making assumptions about and condemning people and things you don't understand.

Because there aren't any roads in the Khumbu region, and hiking there would take an extra week or so each way?