Helicopter Crash Near Kedarnath, All Seven on Board Killed
According to UCADA, the passengers in the helicopter hail from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat
Dehradun: Seven people on board a helicopter (Aryan Aviation’s Bell 407, bearing registration VT-BKA) died when it crashed early on Sunday in the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility. This is the the fifth helicopter accident on the Chardham Yatra route since the pilgrimage started on April 30. The Press Information Bureau confirmed that the helicopter, with pilgrims, had departed Kedarnath at 5.19 am for Guptkashi, went down in poor weather between 5.30 am and 5.45 am.
“Preliminary indications suggest that probable cause of the crash could be Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT), with the helicopter airborne despite poor visibility and extensive clouding at the valley entry area. However, the exact cause will be known after a detailed investigation by the AAIB,” the PIB statement said.
According to flight logs, the accident helicopter had flown the same passengers from Guptkashi to Kedarnath at 5.10 am, landing at the shrine by 5.18 am, before beginning its fatal return leg minutes later. Aviation experts have questioned why sorties were launched despite low visibility in the Kedar Valley
The crash will be investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as well as a high-level committee appointed by the Uttarakhand government.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has provisionally suspended the licences of the Bell 407’s two pilots for operating in unsafe weather conditions. Authorities have also grounded two Trans Bharat Aviation helicopters—VT-TBC, flown by Capt. Yogesh Grewal (CPL-H 1453), and VT-TBF, flown by Capt. Jitender Harjai (CPL-H 1046) — after both were found to have flown in similarly unsuitable weather. Their licences have been suspended for six months.
This is the second fatal helicopter crash in Uttarakhand’s hill regions in just over a month, during which three other helicopters have also made emergency landings due to technical issues. Search-and-rescue teams from the SDRF and NDRF recovered all bodies before operations were called off on Sunday afternoon.
The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation reiterated that “aviation safety is non-negotiable,” directing the DGCA to ensure strict enforcement of weather-related and operational protocols to protect human life.
