International:
PLANE CRASH IN NEPAL
At least 49 people are dead after a plane crashed upon landing in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, on Monday. Around 22 people remain in the hospital being treated for injuries.
The cause of the crash remains unknown but the airport has reported that the plane approached from the wrong direction.
“The aircraft was permitted to land from the southern side of the runway flying over Koteshwor, but it landed from the northern side,” Sanjiv Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, told the Kathmandu Post.
According to a recording obtained by the BBC, the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control minutes before the plane crashed suggests there was a misunderstanding over which end of the runway the plane was allowed to land on. Moments before the crash one can hear LiveATC telling the pilot: “I say again, turn!”
Despite the recording, US-Bangla Airlines chief executive Imran Asif blamed the air traffic control.
National:
AUSTIN POLICE SAY PACKAGE EXPLOSIONS ARE CONNECTED
Authorities in Austin, Texas claim that three package explosions that were delivered to residents within the past 10 days are related.
On March 2, a 39-year-old man was killed after opening a package that was delivered to his door overnight, according to police.
Ten days later, officials reported that a 17-year-old boy died after a similar package exploded in his kitchen Monday morning. A woman was also injured in the explosion. Later that same evening, a 75-year-old Latino woman suffered life-threatening injuries when another hand-delivered package exploded as she opened it.
“I want to assure all Texans, and especially those in Austin, that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are working diligently to find those responsible for these heinous crimes,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “As the investigation continues, the State of Texas will provide any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens, and quickly bring those guilty to justice.”
Local:
RENO LOCAL DIES IN NYC HELICOPTER CRASH
A Reno native and graduate of Galena High School, Tristan Hill, was identified as one of the passengers that was killed in a helicopter crash in New York on Sunday. All five passengers aboard died with the pilot being the only survivor.
Hill, 29, was the former director of Northern Nevada Blue Chip Basketball Camp based in Reno, the Reno-Gazette-Journal reports.
According to CNN, this is the third crash to occur in the past 11 years for Liberty Helicopters. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend the helicopter agency’s certificate until an assessment of the company’s safety record is completed.
“Three (crashes) is too many,” Schumer told CNN. “There are too many allegations. No one knows what’s happened. I don’t think Liberty should be flying until we get to the bottom of this.”
Karolina Rivas can be reached at karolinar@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @karolinarrivas.
