The co-pilot of the fatal plane crash in Nepal had lost her husband who was a pilot in another Yeti Airlines crash 16 years ago.
Anju Khatiwada, 44, was a co-pilot on Sunday’s fatal flight of Kathmandu which crashed into a gorge on a clear day near Pokhara airport killing at least 70 people.
Ms Khatiwada’s career in aviation was sparked by the death of her husband Dipak Pokhrel, who died on a Yeti Airlines flight in 2006 that went down minutes before landing.
No survivors have been found so far among the 72 people who were on board Sunday’s flight, which was Nepal’s deadliest plane crash in three decades.
Ms Khatiwada completed her pilot training with the insurance money she received following the death of Mr Pokhrel in a Yeti Airlines crash in the western town of Jumla, the spokesperson for the airline Sudarshan Bartaula.
Her remains have not been identified but it is feared she may be dead, he added.
Mr Bartuala said Ms Khatiwada had more than 6,400 flying hours and had already flown the popular 27-minute tourist route from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
It remains unclear what caused the crash of the ATR-72, which reportedly rolled from side to side before crashing into a gorge near Pokhara airport and bursting into flames.
Rescuers combed through debris strewn in a 300-metre-deep gorge in search of missing passengers.
Monday, the researchers found the cockpit voice recorder and the flight’s flight data recorder, both in good condition, a find that should help investigators determine what caused the crash.
An official said young children were among the passengers on the flight.
The body of a victim is transported in a vehicle to Pokhara
Ajay KC, a Pokhara police official who is part of the rescue efforts, said: “There were young children among the passengers. Some may have been burned and died, and may not be discovered. We will continue to search for them. “
Among the victims of the accident are the Briton Ruan Calum Crighton and other victims from Nepal, India, Russia, South Korea, Argentina, Australia and France.
British national Ruan Calum Crighton was one of the victims of the plane crash in Nepal. Photo: DL NEWS
The flight was carrying 68 passengers, including 15 foreign nationals, as well as four crew members, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.
The body of the plane’s captain, Kamal KC, has been found and identified.
Family members mourn death of victim
TV channels showed weeping relatives waiting for their loved ones’ bodies outside a hospital where autopsies are being carried out in Pokhara.
The plane crash comes less than a year later a Tara Air crash that killed 22 people.
