A group of Bristol backpackers have described the moment they narrowly missed a fatal plane crash in Nepal.
Three people were killed at Lukla Airport on Sunday (April 14) when a small passenger plane crashed into a parked helicopter during takeoff.
A pilot of the plane and two police officers who were near the parked helicopter were killed in the accident.
The Bristol to Base Camp team, a group of backpackers raising money for charity, arrived at the airport just 10 minutes before the crash.
The team had landed at the airport as part of a 19 day round trip to Everest Base Camp.
Jason Mead, from the Hyde and Co restaurant group, described the moment he and the other team members watched in shock as the plane veered off the runway.
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"We saw the whole thing, it was pretty traumatic," he said.
"We heard a huge noise and saw the plane veer off the runway into a helicopter.
"I just froze and stood there with my hand over my mouth.
"There was smoke, debris everywhere, people running over to the crash. The helicopter was completely mangled."
'You just start thinking about your family'
The team said narrowly avoiding the fatal crash by mere minutes had "put things into perspective".
"It's just surreal," Mr Mead said.
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"I'm a father - you just start thinking about your family. I got really upset."
In a post on Instagram, Lorne Kramer from Icon Films said: "Narrowly escaped a plane crash at Lukla Airport this morning after flying in ten mins before.
"We are all fine but the experience has definitely put things into perspective. Looking forward to getting back to our loved ones."
The next day, the team were forced to take another plane from the airport and fly over the wreckage of the two aircraft to get to their next stop in Kathmandu.
Nathan Lee, from the Hyde & Co group, said the crash site could be seen from the windows of their plane as they took off.
"That was very scary. We were getting flashbacks," he said.
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"You could see the helicopter from the window, we tried not to look."
'World's most dangerous airport'
Lukla airport is often referred to as the world's most dangerous because of the short runway and difficult approach.
It is open only to helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft and sits at an elevation of 9,334 feet.
In May 2017, a cargo flight was landing in Lukla when it lost altitude and crashed into a mountain below the runway, killing both pilots.
In February, a helicopter flying in bad weather crashed into a mountain in north-eastern Nepal, killing all seven people on board, including the country's tourism minister.
You can find out more about the Bristol to Base Camp project here.
