A small plane struck a bird and crashed shortly after take-off from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu on Friday (September 28), killing 19 people, including seven British and five Chinese passengers, officials said.<br/> <br />The crash of the propeller-driven Dornier aircraft was the sixth fatal air accident in less than two years in Nepal, where more than a dozen small private carriers often brave bad weather to fly to mountain areas not well served by road.<br/> <br />Many of those who died were trekkers. Tourism officials said the latest accident could deter foreign tourists from embarking on treks in Nepal.<br/> <br />The Dornier, one of three such planes operated by private firm Sita Air, was bound on a clear morning for Lukla - a gateway to Mount Everest.
