Final honours: Army officer Deepika Chauhan mourns husband Rajveer Singh Chauhan, pilot of fatal Kedarnath helicopter crash
JAIPUR: Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) Rajveer Singh Chauhan's wife, Lt Colonel Deepika Chauhan, on Tuesday, bid a teary farewell to her husband, who was the pilot of a helicopter that crashed in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath, killing him and six others.
Chauhan's funeral in Jaipur was attended by his relatives, friends, and several others.
According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Aryan Aviation's Bell 407 helicopter was operating in the "Shri Kedarnath Ji - Aryan Helipad, Guptkashi" sector. The aircraft carried five adults, one infant and one crew member.
Lt Col Rajveer Singh's funeral procession held in Jaipur
The helicopter departed Guptkashi at 05:10 am, reached Shri Kedarnath Ji Helipad at 05:18 am, and took off again at 05:19 am for Guptkashi.
The crash occurred near Gaurikund between 05:30 am and 05:45 am.
Initial findings suggest Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) as the likely cause, with the aircraft flying despite poor visibility and heavy cloud cover in the valley. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held an emergency meeting with senior state officials, the Secretary (Civil Aviation), the DGCA, and associated teams.
As a precautionary measure, all charter and shuttle helicopter services in the area were suspended on June 15-16.
Sonika, CEO of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, confirmed today that helicopter operations at Kedarnath Dham have resumed.
Tourists have been advised to schedule their travel according to weather conditions. She clarified that while flying hasn't resumed in the region, it will commence once weather conditions improve.
"Heli operations have resumed today. As the weather is not favourable currently, flying has not resumed yet. But as soon as we get clear weather, flying will resume", Sonika said.
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