Plane crashes near Mt. Everest in Nepal; kills 18

By YUVRAJ ACHARYA ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER KATMANDU, Nepal -- A small airplane crashed and caught fire Wednesday as it tried to land in foggy weather at a tiny mountain airport near Mount Everest, killing 18 people, including 16 tourists from Germany, Australia and Nepal, officials said. Witnesses raced onto the tarmac in search of survivors but there was only one - the pilot. The 19-seat Yeti Airlines plane, which had taken off from the capital, Katmandu, snagged its wheels on a security fence during its landing at Lukla airport, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from Mount Everest, said Mohan Adhikari, general manager of the Katmandu airport. The DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter caught fire and came to a stop on the airport grounds, Adhikari said. A fog had descended on the airport just before the crash, said Suraj Kunwar, who was... [read full story]