Pokhara is 80 miles west of the capital Kathmandu.

The plane lost contact with the control tower five minutes before landing in Jomsom, an airline official told Reuters anonymously. Tara Air flies Twin Otter turboprop aircraft mainly built in Canada. The missing plane made its maiden flight in April 1979, according to the flight surveillance website Flightradar24.

The spokesman added that the Nepalese army was involved in the search for the missing plane.

Authorities told Reuters that the search in the area of ​​the plane’s last known location prevented helicopters from flying. The country’s Meteorological Agency said heavy clouds had been observed in the Pokhara-Jomson area since early morning. A search helicopter conditions forced Jomsom to return.

Helicopters are ready to search from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom once the weather is uniform. Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a statement that military and police search teams had been deployed to the area.

A land-based search and rescue team has been sent to the area near Taulagiri Hill, the seventh highest peak in the world at 26,795 feet (8,167 meters), police official Prem Kumar Dani said.

Nepal, with 8 of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Everest, has a record number of plane crashes. Its weather can change abruptly and airstrips are usually located in mountains that are difficult to reach.