Performance
* Never exceed speed: 287 km/h (155 knots, 178 mph)
* Cruise speed: 259 km/h (140 knots, 161 mph - Fast cruise (120 knots normal cruise speed).)
* Range: 652 km (352 nm, 405 mi)
* Service ceiling 5,280 m (17,323 ft)
* Rate of climb: 10.3 m/s (2,028 ft/min)
ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani pilot who saved the lives of two Italian climbers stranded at a deadly Himalayan peak said on Friday he had risked his life and that of his co-pilot to complete the rescue mission.
An army helicopter evacuated Simon Kehrer and Walter Nones from the 8,126-metre Nanga Parbat Mountain, where they were trapped after their team leader Karl Unterkirchner fell to his death in a crevasse.
“It was a quite difficult mission because at the height of 19,000 feet, where the climbers were located, we normally carry out sling operation for the evacuation. But the climbers were not ready for that and therefore we were left with no choice other than to land the helicopter even though it involved great risks,” said Flight Squadron Major Amir Masood.
Two Ecureuil helicopters took part in the rescue mission but only one evacuated the alpinists and this was being flown by Masood.
The second copter was flown by Lieutenant-Colonel Moin Uddin and provided cover to the operation. Later on the climbers and two Italian rescuers were flown to Gilgit in that helicopter.
Masood said he had to carry out the rescue operation despite only semi-favourable weather conditions.
“We were required to evacuate the two at all costs on Thursday because the battery of the phone we had dropped for them was running out and we feared that they might once again lose contact with the world.”
“We flew with minimum fuel and removed the entire luggage and four of the seven seats. When we landed, only one skid of the helicopter was touching the snow and the plane’s propeller was hardly a foot from the snow covered slope on our left side,” he added. “The loose snow was kicked up, reducing the visibility to almost zero. But I kept my nerves and thanks to Allah that we managed to lift the first person.”
Despite the danger the pilot airlifted Simon from the mountain.
“I flew back to the base at lower height, dropped Mr Simon, replaced my co-pilot and returned to the 19,000 feet,” Major Masood said.
“The weather had started to get bad and at one point it seemed that the evacuation of the last climber had to be postponed till tomorrow. But leaving Mr Walter alone in the hostile conditions on Naga Parbat was not appropriate. We flew and lifted him as well. The entire operation took three hours.”
Masood said it was a great pleasure for him that, with his colleagues’ assistance, he managed to save two lives. “Even though it was our official duty to do so, but the realization that we had saved two human lives is something that gave us so much inner satisfaction.”
One member of the Italian rescue team, comprising Silvio Mondinelli and Maurizio Gallo, which was dispatched from Milan last week to guide the two stranded climbers safely down, said no-one in the world but Pakistan’s pilots could fly a helicopter at the height where the two climbers were located.
“It was impossible to fly a helicopter at the height of around 7,000 metres and in very, very unfavourable weather conditions. No- one in the world could do that. Only people in Pakistan could do such things,” said Gallo.
