KATHMANDU, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - A small passenger plane crashed on landing Wednesday morning in Nepal's Everest region, killing 18 people, Nepalese officials said.

"A Yeti Airlines plane has crashed at Lukla airport while it was landing," said airport official Mohan Adhikari.

Of the 19 passengers on the plane, 14 were foreigners and five were Nepalese and only one Nepalese survived, said Adhikari.

The Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla is the gateway to Nepal's Everest region, and is used by thousands of trekkers and mountaineers.