Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand): A helicopter carrying pilgrims from the Kedarnath shrine crashed early Sunday in the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility, killing all seven people on board, the fifth helicopter accident on the Chardham Yatra route since the pilgrimage started on April 30.
The Civil Aviation Ministry suspended the operations of the helicopter operator and issued a slew of safety directions after the tragedy, which came just days after one of the deadliest air disasters where an Air India flight to London crashed in Ahmedabad just after take-off, killing 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
The seven people on board the Bell 407 helicopter, operated by private firm Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, included a two-year-old child and the pilot. They hailed from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said it has suspended the operations of Aryan Aviation for the Char Dham Yatra and has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to immediately post officers from airworthiness, safety and operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath Valley.
Preliminary indications suggest that the probable cause may be Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT), with the helicopter reportedly airborne despite poor visibility and extensive clouding at the valley entry area, the ministry said in a statement.
The exact cause will be determined through a detailed investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), it added.
CFIT occurs when an airworthy aircraft under the complete control of the pilot is inadvertently flown into terrain, water or an obstacle.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also ordered a high-level inquiry and suspension of helicopter operations on the Chardham Yatra route for two days.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told PTI that zero visibility caused by bad weather apparently led the helicopter to crash between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and catch fire.
“There were five passengers, one infant and one crew member on board. The helicopter took off from Guptakashi at 05:10 hrs and landed at Shri Kedarnath ji Helipad at 05:18 hrs. The helicopter took off again at 05:19 hrs for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund,” an official statement said.
Among the victims was a member of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Vikram Singh Rawat.
Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot of the helicopter, had served in the Indian Army for over 15 years and had vast experience of flying missions over different terrains.
A resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, Chauhan had been working as a pilot with Aryan Aviation Private Ltd since October 2024.
Besides the pilot, a couple and their two-year-old daughter hailing from Yavatmal in Maharashtra were also among those killed in the crash.
They were identified as Rajkumar Jaiswal, a transport businessman, his wife Shraddha, and their daughter Kashi, former Wani MLA Vishvas Nandekar told reporters in Yavatamal.
Vinood Devi (66) and Tushti Singh (19) from Uttar Pradesh were among the victims.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said that the DGCA has been directed to immediately post officers from airworthiness, safety, and operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath Valley and rigorously review the functioning of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) command-and-control room.
“Two helicopters belonging to TransBharat Aviation – VT-TBC with Yogesh Grewal as pilot in command and VT-TBF with Jitender Harjai as PIC – were found to have been airborne under similar unsuitable weather conditions.
“Accordingly, the licenses of both pilots have been suspended for six months,” the ministry said.
Chief Minister Dhami chaired an emergency meeting with senior officials soon after the crash and ordered a high-level inquiry into it.
“Heli services will remain suspended on Sunday and Monday as the weather is bad and the safety of passengers is the state government’s top priority,” he said.
Those responsible for negligence should be identified and punitive action should be ensured against them, he said.
He also told officials at the meeting to issue a strict SOP for heli operations in the state and set up a control and command centre in Dehradun to monitor heli operations in the state.
Helicopter crashes or emergency landings are occurring at an alarming frequency on the Chardham yatra route in Uttarakhand. The Chardham yatra involves Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines.
On May 8, a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district in which six people were killed.
On June 7, a helicopter going to Kedarnath had to make an emergency landing on the road due to a technical fault soon after take-off in which the pilot was injured but the five devotees on board were rescued safely.
On May 12, a helicopter returning from Badrinath to Sersi with pilgrims on board had to make an emergency landing in a school playground in Ukhimath due to poor visibility. All pilgrims were safe.
The helicopter took off again after about an hour when the weather improved.
On May 17, a heli ambulance from AIIMS Rishikesh crash-landed near the Kedarnath helipad in Uttarakhand due to damage to its rear part. Fortunately, all three occupants on board – a doctor, a pilot, and a medical staff member – escaped unharmed.
The chief minister said on Sunday that a strict SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) with priority to public safety should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter should be made mandatory.
Weather status should also be checked before heli operations, he said at the meeting.
It was decided at the emergency meeting to set up a common “Command and Coordination Center” in Dehradun for better coordination and safe operation of helicopters, Dhami said.
“There should not be any laxity regarding compliance with DGCA norms in helicopter operations in the state. It should also be ensured that the pilots flying in the upper Himalayan region are experienced,” he said.
