Pilot killed in Kedarnath crash was Army veteran, wife serving as Lt Col
Dehradun/Jaipur: Among the seven killed in the helicopter crash near Gaurikund on the Kedarnath route on Sunday was the pilot, 37-year-old Lt Colonel (Retd) Rajveer Singh Chouhan from Jaipur.
After serving in the Indian Army for over 15 years since 2009, Chouhan had begun his career in civil aviation just eight months ago, joining Aryan Aviation Private Limited, the operator of the ill-fated chopper, in Oct 2024.
He was scheduled to return home soon to his wife, a Lt Colonel in the Army, to celebrate the birth of their twins, born a few months ago. As his father, Govind Singh, prepared for the celebrations, the family received the devastating news that Chouhan's helicopter had crashed around 5.30 am shortly after take-off.
"He had just started the next chapter of his life," said a family friend. "The twins brought so much joy. Preparations were on for a traditional ceremony at home. No one imagined something so horrific would happen."
With over 2,000 hours of flying experience, Chouhan had served in both the Regiment of Artillery and the Army Aviation Corps. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was involved in aerial operations, logistics, disaster response and risk assessment.
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He had also undergone extensive training in helicopter operations, aviation safety, aircraft maintenance, and mission-critical logistics. Last year, he completed a full-time general management programme for defence officers in business administration and management from FMS Delhi. Since joining Aryan Aviation, he had been flying the Bell 407 helicopter.
As news of his death came, relatives and friends gathered at his Jaipur home to mourn the loss of the former officer who was described as calm, tenacious and deeply committed to his duty.
"He was a determined and courageous officer but always wore a gentle smile," said a former colleague. "Even in the most stressful situations, Rajveer remained composed and motivated everyone around him."
His family left for Uttarakhand on Sunday evening to bring back his body.
Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed his condolences over the tragedy and said, "The loss of a brave pilot from Rajasthan and other devotees in the Kedarnath helicopter crash is deeply saddening.
May Lord Kedarnath give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families."
Preliminary reports suggest that adverse weather may have contributed to the crash. Officials said the helicopter likely ran into dense fog and poor visibility in the narrow Himalayan valley.
Besides Captain Chouhan, the others killed in the crash were identified as Vikram Rawat, 45, a Badri-Kedar temple committee representative from Ukhimath in Rudraprayag; Vinod Devi, 66, and Trishti Singh, 19, both from Uttar Pradesh; Rajkumar Jaiswal, 41, a coal transporter from Maharashtra; his wife Shraddha Jaiswal, 35; and their two-year-old daughter, Kashi.
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