Four crashes in a month: DGCA cracks down on unsafe Char Dham chopper operations; may curtail operations there
NEW DELHI: Chopper operations for the ongoing Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand may be curtailed following a spate of crashes in recent weeks. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said it has 'ordered special audits and enhanced surveillance for helicopter operators involved in shuttle services and charter operations in Uttarakhand.
' The last one month alone has seen four crashes and the regulator has decided to get cracking on erring operators. 'As a precautionary measure, DGCA is reviewing the necessity of curtailing helicopter operations to Char Dham if required,' the regulator said in a statement Monday.
Oversight on Char Dham helicopter operations have been enhanced by 'actively monitoring live camera feeds provided by Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) at Kedarnath.
Any deviation from standard operating procedures (SOP) by helicopter operators is detected in real time, allowing for immediate corrective measures,' the DGCA said in a statement.
On Monday, two helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services to Kedarnath from their respective helipads were found to have failed to adhere to SOPs, particularly regarding proper helicopter parking procedures. 'As a result, swift action was taken, and their operations were suspended for two hours.
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DGCA has zero tolerance policy for safety violations and in its latest enforcement action the operations Kestrel Aviation Pvt Ltd in Uttarakhand has been suspended with immediate effect pending investigation.
This is further to suspension of operations of another operator for safety violations in the month of May, 2025,' the statement added.
A Kestrel Aviation flying from Badasu to Kedarnath had last week made an emergency landing on a highway in Rudraprayag district after developing a technical issue during take off.
A part of the chopper had crashed into an empty stationary car below. Luckily all six people on board the private chopper were safe.
The regulator noted that 'recently multiple occurrences involving helicopter operations during Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand have underscored the necessity for further strengthening the safety oversight of these operations. Safety investigation has been initiated for each of these occurrences to identify contributing factors, including mechanical failures, operational errors, and weather-related challenges.
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'Directives have been issued to all helicopter operators, restricting operations to OGE conditions till further order.,' a DGAC statement said. OGE is 'out of ground effect' where a helicopter hovers above a certain height where the ground doesn't significantly influence the downwash from the rotor. This means helicopters need more power to maintain their altitude because there's less ground-assisted lift.
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