Nepal plane crash | Aircraft's co-pilot lost her aviator husband in a similar crash 16-years-ago

Anju Khatiwada, the co-pilot of the crashed Yeti Airlines' aircraft, joined Nepal's aviation sector after the death of her husband who was killed while flying a small passenger plane of the same domestic airline in 2006.

Nearly 16 years later, the 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft - co-piloted by Anju - crashed on the bank of the Seti River near Pokhara's new airport on Sunday, with 72 people on board. Sixty-nine people were confirmed dead in Sunday's crash while three others are still missing. Anju is believed to be among the victims.

Anju was married to co-pilot Deepak Pokharel, who used to fly helicopters of the Nepal Army. After a few years of their marriage, Deepak, who became a pilot of Yeti Airlines, died in a Twin-Otter crash in Jumla district in 2006.

She used the money she received as an insurance claim after her husband's death to undertake an aviation course, according to Sudarsan Bartaula, a spokesperson of Yeti Airlines.

Anju studied a pilot course in the US and joined the aviation industry.

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