Chopper crash-lands near Kedarnath; 4th helicopter mishap in 30 days on Char Dham route
This incident marks the fourth helicopter mishap on the Char Dham route within a month, raising concerns about aviation safety. Authorities have notified the DGCA, and an investigation is underway while shuttle operations continue as scheduled.
DEHRADUN: Soon after the take off from Sirsi helipad, which besides Phata and Guptkashi, is used to take pilgrims to Kedarnath, a private firm helicopter crash-landed in Badasu area of Rudraprayag district on Saturday morning.
In a span of 30 days, this was the fourth mishap involving a helicopter on the Char Dham route.
The chopper had taken off with five pilgrims to Kedarnath from Sirsi helipad. While landing the tail of the chopper broke off, the authorities maintained that no one was injured in the incident.
An official communication from the stat government mentioned, 'The CEO of UCADA has informed that a helicopter made a precautionary landing on the road, instead of the helipad, while taking off with passengers from Sirsi.
There are no reports of any casualties. The DGCA has been notified, and the rest of the shuttle operations are proceeding as scheduled.'
A chopper crashed near Gangotri, leading to six deaths on May 8. An incident was averted when a chopper blade hit a vehicle at the Badrinath helipad on May 12. An air ambulance crashed in the Kedarnath area as its tail hit the ground while landing near the helipad around 11:50am on May 15 and no casualties were reported and all three persons – the pilot, a doctor and nursing staff – are safe.
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Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
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The marvel and meaning aboard train to Kashmir's first journey
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will carry out an investigation into the emergency landing made by a private helicopter carrying pilgrims to Kedarnath. The chopper landed on a highway near the Bharasu helipad in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district on Saturday afternoon due to a suspected technical fault, and all passengers on board are safe, said officials. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was informed of the incident. A team from the Directorate of Air Safety (North Region) is being dispatched to the site for an on-ground assessment of the aircraft and the cause of the malfunction. Officials said the helicopter has been secured at the site and further investigation will reveal the exact cause of the suspected control malfunction. Soon after take-off, the pilot, Captain RPS Sodhi, detected a suspected malfunction in the helicopter's collective control - a critical component that manages the aircraft's lift. In response, he executed a precautionary hard landing on a road just below the Bharasu helipad. According to Uttarakhand ADG (Law and Order) Dr V Murugesan, all passengers on board are safe. The pilot reported a backache after the landing and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. "There is no report of any casualties. The situation was handled efficiently, and the pilot made a safe landing," he said. The CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) confirmed that the helicopter, while flying from Sirsi with passengers, opted to land on a road near the helipad instead of returning to or landing on the designated helipad itself. The helicopter, an AW119 operated by Kestrel Aviation Private Limited (registration VT-RNK), is a single-engine model designed for high-altitude operations. It is part of the fleet used for shuttle services to Kedarnath during the annual Char Dham Yatra. These services are especially vital during peak pilgrimage season, allowing devotees to access the Himalayan shrine with relative ease and speed. The UCADA CEO confirmed that all other helicopter operations to Kedarnath are proceeding as per schedule and there has been no disruption.
