According to Pokhara Airport Chief Deepak Baral, the pilot is identified as 50-year-old Russian national Valerie Putin. Elizabeth Well, 40, is the South African passenger.The flight took off for sight-seeing of snow capped peaks for one hour.
Baral added that the flight, supposed to land at 11:35am, went out of contact at 10:41am. The flight came in contact for the last time when it reached near Machhapuchhre mountain. Soon after the airport staff realized that the flight was missing, they immediately started making enquiries.
According to Pomnarayan Shrestha, the owner of Pokhara Ultra-light company, ultra-light flight is made in Akarus, Germany. It can carry a pilot with only one passenger in it.
"The flight had clocked one hundred and twenty-one hours. It appears that the flight must have stuck somewhere. Search operation with the help of helicopter is being carried out", said Shrestha.
This is Fix-wing flight in which passenger can view only from windows that protects them from wind.
Shrestha also said they have fixed parachute in each flight to save passenger and flight life. They will not know what is wrong with the parachute unless the flight is found.
S.P. Hari Bhadur Pal, the chief officer of Kaski Police suspected that the flight must have fallen between cliffs. The police force was sent to Machhapuchhre mountain for the search which has intensified.
Shrestha informed that ultra-light flight is easier and safer for mountain view than others. In this flight, passenger seat is just behind pilot's seat.
Shrestha also informed that this flight can hold weight of 250 kilos and can fly over 12,000 feet and needs about 20 litre petrol for flying for an hour.
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