On 27 February 2019, an Air Dynasty helicopter crashed in bad weather shortly after taking off from the area of Pathibhara Temple in Taplejung, eastern Nepal. All seven on board were killed, including Nepal's Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari, and tourism entrepreneur Ang Tshiring Sherpa.
In short: a helicopter carrying Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari crashed in Taplejung on 27 February 2019 after visiting Pathibhara, killing all seven on board. Investigators blamed poor weather.
What happened
The minister and officials had inspected a site for a planned airport and visited Pathibhara Temple. The helicopter took off in deteriorating weather and crashed soon after. The loss was felt deeply across Nepal's tourism industry.
Pathibhara today
Pathibhara remains an important pilgrimage site. See our Pathibhara Temple guide.