In a tragic incident early Sunday morning, an Aryan Aviation's Bell 407 helicopter (VT-BKA), carrying seven people, including six pilgrims and a pilot, crashed in the dense forest between Gaurikund and Sonprayag in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district amid poor visibility. All on board were killed including a two-year-old child and the pilot. They hailed from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said the accident will be investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also ordered a high-level inquiry. The Ministry has also suspended the operations of Aryan Aviation for the Char Dham Yatra with immediate effect.
Following the crash, the Government suspended helicopter services on the Char Dham Yatra route for two days. The chopper crash comes days after an Air India flight to London crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
Among the dead are three members of a Jaiswal family from Maharashtra's Yavatmal — Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, Shraddha Jaiswal and their 23-month-old daughter Kashi Rajkumar Jaiswal. Their son, Vivaan, got saved as he stayed back with his grandfather. The other pilgrims have been identified as 66-year-old Vinod Devi and 19-year-old Trishti Singh, both from Uttar Pradesh. Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan, 39-year-old pilot, a resident of Jaipur also died in the crash. Among the victims was a member of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Vikram Singh Rawat.
The chopper was en route to Guptkashi from Shri Kedarnath Dham, one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas, when it went down around 5:20 am.
The helicopter took off from Guptkashi at 05:10 Hrs and landed at Shri Kedarnath Ji Helipad at 05:18 Hrs. It departed again at 05:19 Hrs for Guptkashi and is reported to have crashed near Gaurikund between 05:30-05:45 Hrs.
“There were 5 passengers, one infant and one crew member on board. The helicopter took off from Guptakashi at 05:10 Hrs and Landed at Shri Kedarnath ji Helipad at 05:18 hrs. Helicopter took off again at 05:19 hrs for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund,” an official statement said. Rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF teams are currently underway at the crash site.
According to the Ministry, 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. CFIT occurs when an airworthy aircraft under the complete control of the pilot is inadvertently flown into terrain, water or an obstacle. According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, the DGCA has been directed by the Civil Aviation Ministry to immediately post officers from airworthiness, safety, and operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath Valley, and rigorously review the functioning of the UCADA command-and-control room. Two helicopters belonging to TransBharat Aviation - VT-TBC with Yogesh Grewal as pilot in command and VT-TBF with ( Jitender Harjai as PIC were found to have been airborne under similar unsuitable weather conditions. Accordingly, the licenses of both pilots have been suspended for six months, the ministry said.
Following the crash, helicopter services operating in the Char Dham region have been suspended until further notice. The decision was jointly taken by UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). As a precautionary measure, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) has reduced frequency of helicopter operations to chardham shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. The watchdog is carrying out enhanced surveillance and reviewing the operation for any further action, the statement said.
Initial reports suggest that technical failure and poor weather conditions may have contributed to the crash. The alarm was raised after locals, who were out collecting fodder for cattle, discovered the wreckage in the forested terrain.
After the helicopter crashes, the Chief Minister on Sunday instructed the Chief Secretary to form a committee of technical experts. This committee will comprehensively review all safety and technical aspects of heli operations and draft the new SOP. It will ensure that helicopter services function with complete safety, transparency, and in compliance with all prescribed norms.
Additionally, Chief Minister Dhami said that a high-level committee-already constituted to investigate previous helicopter accidents in the state-will now also investigate today's crash. The committee will examine all aspects of these incidents in depth, identify any negligence, and recommend strict action against responsible individuals or agencies. Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the state disaster management department, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), and companies operating heli services in the state will be part of this centre, he said.
The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of heli services in Uttarakhand for pilgrimage, disaster management, and emergency response, saying that ensuring safety in these operations will be the topmost priority. Dhami expressed grief over the incident, saying on X: “Extremely sad news has been received about the helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district. SDRF, local administration, and other rescue teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations.
“West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also expressed grief over the incident, saying, “Most distressingly, another civil aviation tragedy was reported this morning, this time from Uttarakhand, in the Kedarnath - Gaurikund - Guptakashi region. 7 people were on board including a child and the pilot, and there has been a reported crash with worst being feared by media. While we await the results of rescue and search operations, my prayers go out for each one on board.” (sic).