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Aryan Aviation operations suspended after Kedarnath helicopter crash
Operations for the Char Dham Yatra by the operator of the chopper that crashed Sunday morning, Aryan Aviation, have been suspended with immediate effect, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Sunday.
The ministry stated that the primary investigation suggests the reason for the crash could be that the helicopter took off despite poor visibility and extensive clouding at the valley entry area.
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 exact cause will be determined through a detailed investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the ministry said in a statement.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), MoCA, and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).
Two pilots suspended and operations halted
The licences of two pilots who were reportedly found to have been airborne under similarly unsuitable weather conditions have been suspended for six months.
As a safety precaution, the ministry also suspended all charter and shuttle helicopter operations in the region on 15 and 16 June.
UCADA has been directed to hold a comprehensive review with all operators and pilots before the resumption of the service, and also establish a dedicated command-and-control room to monitor operations and risk management.
DGCA has been directed to oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath valley and rigorously review the functioning of the UCADA command-and-control room.
Aryan Aviation's Bell 407 helicopter was involved in the accident that killed seven people. According to the ministry, the chopper took off from Guptkashi at 5:10 am, landed at Kedarnath at 5:18 am, and again took off at 5:19 am for Guptkashi. It is reported to have crashed near Gaurikund between 5:30 am and 5:45 am.
The ministry also informed that rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF teams are currently underway at the crash site.
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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Kedarnath chopper crash: Case registered against private helicopter firm
The Bell 407 helicopter which crashed due to bad weather in the forests of Gauri Mai Khark between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan belonged to Aryan Aviation Private Limited Press Trust of India Dehradun A case has been registered against helicopter service operating firm Aryan Aviation Private Ltd for alleged negligence in connection with the chopper crash near Kedarnath on Sunday which killed all seven people on board, including a two-year-old child and the pilot. The Bell 407 helicopter which crashed due to bad weather in the forests of Gauri Mai Khark between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan belonged to Aryan Aviation Private Limited. A case has been registered against Aryan Aviation's accountable manager Kaushik Pathak and manager Vikas Tomar at Sonprayag police station under BNS and section 10 of the Aircraft Act 1934, police said. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Revenue police Sub Inspector Rajiv Nakholia posted at Phata, a small town located near the Himalayan temple. The complaint states that Aryan Aviation was allotted the first slot from 6 am to 7 am for helicopter operations on June 15, while this accident happened before that at 5:30 am. In addition, despite the sky being cloudy and foggy since morning, the weather conditions were not checked before the helicopter took off. The complaint states that the SOP issued by the DGCA and Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority was ignored while the company managers knew very well that doing so could cause loss of life and property. By doing so, Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd and its managers showed gross negligence towards their responsibilities, due to which the crash occurred, the complaint added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Wire
5 hours ago
- The Wire
What Ails Char Dham Helicopter Tourism?
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Government What Ails Char Dham Helicopter Tourism? K.P. Sanjeev Kumar 25 minutes ago If the triumvirate of the civil aviation ministry, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, and DGCA has succeeded in one mission, it is to unite the pilgrim with their maker, as two fatal accidents in as many months has shown. It is about time pilgrims take responsibility for their own lives. NDRF and SDRF personnel at the spot after a helicopter crashed near the Kedarnath shrine, in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, Sunday, June 15, 2025. At least seven people were killed in the incident. Photo: NDRF via PTI. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now What happened A Bell 407 (VT-BKA) of Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd operating in the Kedarnath Aryan Helipad Guptkashi sector crashed early morning on Sunday, Jun 15, 2025, near Gaurikund between 0530-0545 IST. The helicopter reportedly took off from Guptkashi at 0510 IST, landed at Kedarnath Ji helipad 0518 IST before departing 0519 IST for Guptkashi. There were a total of seven onboard including the pilot. All are feared dead. Uttarakhand Director General of Information Bansidhar Tripathi said there had been 'three emergency landings and two helicopter crashes in the past month and a half' along the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage route. Two of these have been fatal, taking a total of 13 lives since May 2025. A timeline of helicopter accidents in Uttarakhand can be accessed here. Some context (for comparison) On any given day, at least 12-15 twin-engine helicopters undertake between 25-30 sorties to/from Mumbai High. Flown by two pilots (mostly ex-military) who have to match up to high entry barriers of flying experience, twin-engine hours, offshore experience among others, these helicopters form the lifeline for offshore oil and gas workers who have to traverse hundreds of sea miles to keep our kitchen fires burning. Flying continues unabated 24/7/365 till visibility drops below 1000 metres or conditions at base/destination goes below minima — a rare occurrence, typically just 2-3 times in a year. The primary client is public sector undertaking (PSU) 'Maharatna' Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and a couple of private sector giants. Only 2-3 helicopter companies with 'depth' can compete in this exacting environment that stretches from sea level to about 3000 feet. State-run Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), hithertofore a competitor in this field, has since vacated the arena after a series of accidents that shook passenger confidence despite the comfort zone two PSUs (ONGC-PHL) enjoyed in this client-service provider relationship. These are high-value offshore contracts with intricate standards and punishing liquidated damage (LD) clauses that companies bid for and win on a competitive basis. Upfront, there are no fare-paying passengers. Should the Captain decide to turn back due 'weather' or 'technical' (DNCO or 'duty not carried out' in military parlance), passengers would at best begrudge another night's stay in the company guest house or hotel. They can always take another flight the same day or next — no pressure. Yet there have been serious accidents that were traced back to a flawed model that incentivised 'flying hours' and 'number of landings' over safety in this industry. The Char Dham Sector Now imagine a situation where a bunch of eight or nine start-ups or small-cap companies field 40-50 helicopters for a short-term, lucrative contract in the Himalayas where: The opportunity window is a slender 3-4 months in a year Man and machine are operating at their limits of weight, altitude and temperature (WAT) Ticket prices are capped at unreasonable levels because GoI wants ' Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)' Demand outstrips supply by an order of magnitude The state literally incentivises the feeding frenzy by pegging ticket prices that compete with pony rides Contractual clauses load the dice heavily against 'No Go' or 'Land and Live' Only single-pilot, single-engine helicopter operations are viable in this L1 scenario Terms are dictated by Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority or UCADA generalists from the IAS cadre with ZERO expertise of aviation Is it surprising if operators become the beast of burden in this scenario where there is big money to be made and incentives for shortcuts are far too many? It's all fine till such time a helicopter crashes and lives are lost. Even then, holding the operator responsible for all losses and the state (contractually) washing its hands off must strike people with a conscience as odd, but here we are. Enabling factors As another helicopter, this time a Bell 407, VT-BKA belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, slammed into a hillside in Uttarakhand today Jun 15, 2025 with loss of seven lives (pilot+5 adults+1 infant), a larger question beggars answer — who is responsible for safety management in what is veritably the 'cash cow' sector of helicopter industry in India? And, more importantly, what power or agency do those that the authorities hold 'responsible for safety' wield in implementing course corrections? Some answers can be found in tender documents issued by UCADA that runs the heli-tourism wing for and on behalf of Uttarakhand state government. Fuelled by the Modi government's flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) and ' Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik ' (UDAN) schemes, heli-tourism, especially to far-flung shrines in the mountains, has seen an uptick in recent years. On first look, there is nothing wrong with the policy as such. Helicopters, indeed all vertical lift, fills a niche in rugged mountains nothing else can. The Char Dham circuit is so holy in India it is considered poor form to even speak of it without the respectful suffix of 'ji' (as in Kedarnath Ji). Helicopters can turn a 5-hour trek or pony ride across rugged mountainous terrain into a 15-min air shuttle. Who in government can possibly say no to an idea that propels heli-tourism revenue where all accountability is outsourced to an 'operator' while the state keeps skimming money off the top? Safety culture? What's that? In a country where people die in stampedes and fall off the footboard of moving trains without doors in the 21st Century, who should be the final arbiter for safety? The pilgrim who has been given the opportunity to buy a helicopter ticket cheaper than a pony ride? Or a '2+1 helicopter company' who wants to 'extract maximus' from the milch cow of the industry? Or UCADA whose website, replete with spelling mistakes and 'no data found', gives a glimpse into how cheap a pilgrim or tourist's life is in India? Look at the odds. And the irony. Listed below are some of the clauses extracted from a recent tender floated by UCADA for selection of a helicopter shuttle operator from Joshiyara to Gangotri: Operator will have to provide 10 flying hours (on non-chargeable basis) each Yatra season to meet exigencies as determined by UCADA. Each operator will provide the flying hours when directed by UCADA, failure is doing so will attract a penalty of Rs 02 lakh each time. In such a case the balance number of hours will remain unchanged. For utilization of these hours a roaster will be followed. These services will be provided as per the direction of CEO, UCADA. When the helicopter is requisitioned by UCADA and if any operator refuses or shows inability, a penalty of Rs 02.00 lakh will be levied. Withdrawal of any helicopter on the grounds of reduced pilgrim traffic etc. shall be allowed only after the Operator has obtained the specific written approval of the Chief Executive Officer/ Addl. Chief Executive Officer, UCADA failing which a penalty @ Rs 20,000/- per scheduled flying hour (subject to a maximum of Rs. 100,000/- per day) shall be liable to be imposed. The above penalty shall also apply in case the Operator suspends flying beyond 24 hours, on account of some technical snag/ non availability of pilots or any other reason whatsoever. The penalty amount shall be double in the subsequent days of suspended operations i.e. Rs. 40,000/- per scheduled flying hour (subject to a maximum of Rs. 200,000/- for 2nd day), Rs. 80,000/- per scheduled flying hour (subject to a maximum of Rs. 400,000/- for 3rd day) and so on till 07 days after which the contract of the successful operator can be cancelled. The Company shall carry out the flight operations daily, with least inconvenience to the Yatris, subject to fair weather conditions and clearance by the ATC/Competent authority. (to be clear, there is NO ATC or 'competent authority' in Chota Char Dham sector except for pilots). Each pilot operating Shuttles will be permitted a maximum of 50 landings in a day and the bidder will comply with DGCA CAR Section-7 Series-J Part-II without any aberrations. The booking of Heli tickets for shuttle services will be 100% online through website authorized by UCADA. 03% (Inclusive of GST) of the tariff of each booked ticket as Yatra Facilitation Charges shall be charged by UCADA from shuttle operator. (This is like booking airline tickets through DGCA!) Booking charges/convenience fees over and above the ticket charges shall be collected from the passenger by the ticket booking agency authorised by UCADA. Dynamic pricing system over and above the L1 rate may be introduced. The SOP for the dynamic pricing system will be as directed by UCADA which will be binding on all the selected bidder. The Operator shall pay royalty inclusive of GST equal to Rs 5,000 per landing at all government owned Helipads. The royalty amount has to be deposited on weekly basis. Shuttle royalty shall also increase by 05% with every extension in contract. All other equipment/infrastructure for communication, meteorological facilities, medical facilities, fire-fighting and safe flying operation etc shall be the sole responsibility of the Operator, who shall provide it as per norms prescribed by DGCA/ other agencies. When the helicopter is requisitioned by UCADA and if any operator refuses or shows inability, a penalty of Rs 02.00 lakh will be levied. Withdrawal of any helicopter on the grounds of reduced pilgrim traffic etc. shall be allowed only after the Operator has obtained the specific written approval of the Chief Executive Officer/ Addl. Chief Executive Officer, UCADA failing which a penalty @ Rs 20,000/- per scheduled flying hour (subject to a maximum of Rs. 100,000/- per day) shall be liable to be imposed. The above penalty shall also apply in case the Operator suspends flying beyond 24 hours, on account of some technical snag/ non availability of pilots or any other reason whatsoever. The penalty amount shall be double in the subsequent days of suspended operations i.e. Rs. 40,000/- per scheduled flying hour (subject to a maximum of Rs. 200,000/- for 2nd day), Rs. 80,000/- per scheduled flying hour (subject to a maximum of Rs. 400,000/- for 3rd day) and so on till 07 days after which the contract of the successful operator can be cancelled And here's the clincher! UCADA shall not be liable for what-so-ever consequences arising out of any accident, incident, mishap, or any event relating to the operation of the helicopter services of the Operator, who shall be solely and exclusively liable for any injury, damage or liability of any kind arising directly or indirectly out of its operations. Come one, come all policy The hill state of Uttarakhand is popularly known as 'Dev Bhoomi' — meaning 'Abode of the Gods'. The Char Dham Yatra represents one of the holiest pilgrimage for practising Hindus. As defined by Hindu saint and philosopher Adi Shankara, Char Dham or the Chatur Dhama is a set of four Hindu pilgrimage sites in India, comprising Badrinath (in Uttarakhand), Dwarka (in Gujarat), Puri (in Odisha) and Rameshwaram (in Tamil Nadu). This ' Char Dham ' is often confused with ' Chota Char Dham ' which comprises Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Today, Chota Char Dham has gained ascendancy over Char Dham thanks to slick marketing of Hindu religious tourism by central and state authorities. With throwaway ticket prices speaking to a 'come one, come all' audience, it is hardly surprising that the IRCTC window for heli-tourism ticketing in this sector closes within minutes of opening — for a season that lasts just 5-6 months, including the Amarnath Yatra! All this in the middle of weather most unsuitable for helicopter flying — the Southwest Monsoon (Jun-Sep). Weather unaccounted? A veteran of this sector shared a video with me that I found tantalisingly dangerous, given the marginal conditions of terrain and topography in this sector. They call it Rambara Express. It shows an ominous cloud filling the Kedar valley so fast, it can prove to be the nemesis for single-pilot VFR operations. This is what the pilot had to say: 'Rambara is a village south of Kedarnath, from where this cloud weather phenomenon builds up. It builds up so fast and moves at an express pace towards the temple. That's why, it's express.' The earning season is very small and the stakes are inordinately high. In remote Himalayan helipads, what kind of operations/maintenance support can be expected to hold up against a system that expects operators to fly shuttles dawn to dusk, charging them extortionary rates for every landing while providing absolutely nothing in return except ticket fares that are capped at pony ride fares? Even the Indian military suspends routine flying in mountains after noon! 'Rambara Express' – a weather phenomenon often encountered by pilots flying Kedarnath sector Shelfware of rules, but ground reality is different A series of accidents have only added to the regulatory overload while doing precious little to correct what is essentially a flawed economic model that promotes shuttles and landings over safety. For example, the number of helicopters in the Kedar valley at any given time was reduced from four to two and payload restricted from In Ground Effect (IGE) to Out of Ground Effect (OGE), meaning lesser payload (and hence more shuttles to earn 'promised' revenue). In effect, the state government and UCADA has pumped more air into the shrine tourism balloon while watchdog DGCA has covered its tracks with Operations Circulars that are 'unobtanium' in the existing context (OC 02 of 2023). When helicopters operating under little to no oversight under Himalayan conditions meet aspirations of an 'awakened' pilgrim on a holy pilgrimage to 'wash off all sins', expect new sins of omission or commission. Wake-up call Thanks to all the hardsell coupled with the pull of cheap tickets, the hill shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath have been seeing footfalls like never before. Shrine boards and the UCADA have been incentivising this feeding frenzy with no real investments in infrastructure or safety management systems. To make matters worse, operators hire ex-military pilots with hill flying experience and incentivise them with cash bounties that draw them away from well-regulated sectors like offshore. It can only go south from here. The situation is so bad, helicopter operators can learn a thing or two from pony operators who seem to have a higher benchmark for what works in the hills and what doesn't. The flawed financial model at the root of this unholy heli-tourism sector merits greater scrutiny and could well hold the keys to solving the puzzle. Meanwhile, as fare-paying passengers, please do your due diligence and take the safer option till further advice. As it seems, nobody has your back. If the triumvirate of MoCA, UCADA and DGCA has succeeded in one mission, it is to unite the pilgrim with his/her Maker, as two fatal accidents in as many months has shown. It is about time pilgrims take responsibility for their own lives. Signing off with thoughts and prayers to seven onboard the last flight of VT-BKA. 'Baba Kedar ki Jai' K.P. Sanjeev Kumar is a full-time aviator and part-time writer. This article was first published on his website. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Uttarakhand: Seven Killed After Helicopter Crashes Near Kedarnath As Plane to Srinagar Faced Storm Mid-Air, Request to Detour into Pak Airspace Turned Down Aviation Funding Discrepancy, Vacancies Undermining Safety: What Parliamentary Panel Flagged This March Over Half of Registered Deaths in 2022 Got No Medical Attention; Unregistered Deaths Not Even Counted LA Protests: Trump's Decision to Deploy Military Criticised, California Governor Terms Move 'Deranged' Bullets for Profit: The Dirty Trade Behind Sudan's Civil War India Discusses Celebi's Security Clearance Revocation With Turkish Embassy India Revokes Security Clearance To Turkish Airport Services Firm, Defers Initiation of Ambassador MHA Directs States and Union Territories to Hold Civil Defence Mock Drills on May 7 View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Kedarnath Helicopter crash: Pilot, who welcomed twins 4 months ago, dies on Father's Day
A pair of newborn twins lost their father on Father's Day, no less. India, still grappling with the aftermath of the devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, was hit by another heart-wrenching tragedy on June 15, 2025. A helicopter ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath met with a catastrophic end. The aircraft, a Bell 407 operated by Aryan Aviation, lost contact shortly after takeoff and eventually crashed in a dense forest near Gaurikund. All seven individuals onboard lost their lives, including the pilot and six passengers. Among the deceased were a 23-month-old child and the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Rajveer Singh Chauhan , aged 37. A New Father Taken Too Soon According to The Indian Express , Lieutenant Colonel Chauhan and his wife, Deepika, had recently welcomed twins just four months ago. Their joy came after a long wait of 14 years. Rajveer, a native of Mahwa in Rajasthan's Dausa district, had taken a short break from duty to spend cherished time with his newborn children and wife. Just 20 days prior to the incident, he had returned to active service. He had also planned to attend an upcoming family ceremony called Jalwa Pujan, a Rajasthani ritual that celebrates the arrival of infants, scheduled for June 30, 2025, according to Bollywood Shaadis. Now, instead of a joyful cultural event, the family is faced with an irreplaceable void. A Distinguished Career in Aviation and Service Lieutenant Colonel Chauhan's professional history reflects an extensive and decorated tenure in the Indian Army. As indicated by his LinkedIn profile, he accumulated over 2,000 flying hours and spent more than 15 years serving the nation. His career included diverse responsibilities such as coordinating air missions, overseeing logistical chains, and leading disaster response initiatives. He had undergone rigorous training in the maintenance and operation of multiple helicopter types. His profile also reveals strong expertise in aviation safety, aircraft handling, and mission planning, especially in challenging terrains and high-stress scenarios. In addition to his military accomplishments, Rajveer was an alumnus of the highly respected Faculty of Management Studies, further highlighting his academic and strategic capabilities. Details of the Fatal Crash The helicopter, a Bell 407 operated by Aryan Aviation, departed from the Kedarnath helipad at approximately 5:20 A.M. on June 15. Not long after takeoff, communication with ground control was severed. Preliminary assessments suggest that rapidly changing weather conditions played a major role in the incident. The aircraft crashed into a dense forest area near Gaurikund and exploded upon impact.
