Nepal plane crash kills 19

A twin-engine prop plane operated by Nepal's Sita Air crashed today (Sept. 28) into the banks of the Manohara River just minutes after takeoff, killing all 19 people onboard. The dead included seven Britons, five Chinese and seven Nepalese, including three Nepalese crew members. This reconstruction was created based on information available as of 08:30 GMT on Sept. 28.

The plane was en route from Kathmandu to the small town of Lukla, just 35 minutes away. According to officials, an air traffic controller noticed an unusual manoeuvre minutes after takeoff and contacted the pilot. The pilot said the plane had hit a vulture. At around 6:30am local time (00:45 GMT), the plane plunged into an open field by the banks of the river. The wreckage shows the plane was pointing toward the airport just 500 meters (547 yards) away.