Kedarnath helicopter crash: Why are so many helicopter accidents happening on the Kedarnath route?
Recent helicopter accidents on the Gaurikund-to-Kedarnath route have prompted a safety review. Five incidents occurred in six weeks, including two fatal crashes. The challenging flying conditions lack air traffic control and weather stations. Operators are accused of cutting corners, and pilots demand better oversight.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
kedarnath helicopter crash surge within weeks
Pilots fly 'by sight, by wind, by instinct'
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Operators demand tougher oversight
Regulators move, but critics say it is not enough
A series of five helicopter accidents in just six weeks on the Gaurikund‑to‑Kedarnath pilgrimage route has triggered an urgent safety review by regulators and operators, after two crashes proved fatal and three others caused emergency landings and major rotor damage.The Kedarnath sector sees some of India's most challenging commercial flying. Pilots rely almost completely on visual cues because the valley lacks air‑traffic control, weather stations and safe diversion sites. Industry voices now question whether Char Dham flights should continue until basic safety infrastructure is in place.The latest run of mishaps began with the crash‑landing of a Kestrel Aviation helicopter near a road, injuring the pilot. Two other aircraft suffered rotor strikes, and another required an emergency landing. These come on top of past tragedies: seven deaths in a 2022 crash, the 2023 tail‑rotor incident that killed Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) finance controller Amit Saini, and the 2013 military rescue crash that claimed 20 lives.Manoj Sharma, who regularly flies the Kedarnath route, told TOI, 'We are flying in one of the world's most unforgiving regions with very little real‑time weather support. Operations are being conducted on pilot observation and visual reference. The weather is unpredictable and changes rapidly.'A veteran colleague added, 'There is no ATC or weather station. Flying in the narrow valley from Gaurikund to Kedarnath needs experience and safety awareness, as there are no emergency landing sites.'Some operators accuse peers of cutting corners. 'There are no checks. Faulty parts are being swapped with others to show repairs. Conscientious operators and passengers suffer,' one operator said. A senior pilot called the recent rate of five crashes in 1.5 months 'the worst we've seen' and urged suspension of services this yatra season, claiming 'greed is driving it, not safety.'The civil aviation ministry has suspended Aryan Aviation, grounded two TransBharat pilots for flying in bad weather, and directed UCADA to set up a command‑and‑control room to coordinate flights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has posted officers for on‑site oversight. Yet pilots insist that without real‑time weather data, route information and a formal air‑traffic system, risks will persist. 'No route info is provided. Until these issues are fixed, operations should be stopped,' one pilot warned.UCADA is reviewing operating procedures and exploring a dedicated Kedarnath flight management centre. In the meantime, pressure mounts for a temporary halt to commercial sorties. As one pilot summed up: 'Char Dham ops are among the toughest, but we fly like nothing's wrong.'(Inputs from TOI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
3 pilgrims dead, 1 missing after landslides hit Char Dham routes
1 2 3 4 5 Dehradun/Uttarkashi: Three pilgrims died, one was missing, and three others sustained injuries after separate landslides struck the Yamunotri and Badrinath routes in Uttarakhand on Monday following heavy rainfall that disrupted Char Dham pilgrimage movement. A landslide hit the Yamunotri route around 4pm at Nau Kainchi near Bhairav temple, about 1.5 km from the shrine. Large boulders crashed onto the pedestrian path, damaging railings, and trapped several pilgrims. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police rushed to the site, with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel joining later in the evening. Rasik, a pilgrim from Mumbai, was rescued from under debris with injuries and admitted to the primary health centre at Jankichatti. His condition was reported to be stable. Based on Rasik's statement, two pilgrims — a 12-year-old girl named Bhavika from Delhi and another male pilgrim — had gone missing, of whom one body was recovered later. Search operations are underway. Rescuers later found the body of a teenage girl and another unidentified person – the body so mutilated that even its gender could not be ascertained. On Monday morning, falling boulders struck a moving car near the Patalganga tunnel on the Badrinath highway in Chamoli district, killing a woman and injuring two others, including a child. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The family from Fatehabad, Haryana, was returning from Badrinath when the accident occurred. Shilpa, 36, died on the spot, while Ankit Lal, 39, and 10-year-old Khwahish were taken to a nearby hospital. The woman's body was sent for post-mortem examination. Inspector Karn Singh from the SDRF led the rescue along with local police. An SDRF official said, "The area has witnessed several rockfall incidents recently, so travellers must remain cautious." Landslides and falling boulders blocked the Badrinath National Highway (NH-54) near Pipalkoti for over six hours on Monday morning. Authorities cleared the road by afternoon, reopening it to one-way traffic as stabilisation work continued. Chamoli tehsil recorded the district's highest rainfall at 93.66 mm, significantly raising the risk of landslides. The highway saw two blockages within 24 hours. Two tourists from Hyderabad, aged 36 and 50, died on Saturday when boulders fell on their motorcycle near Chatwapeepal, between Gauchar and Karnaprayag.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Chaos at Patna Airport: Passengers left without baggage as 2 Air India Express land without luggage
Passengers arriving on two Air India Express flights at Patna's Jayprakash Narayan International Airport on Saturday morning were left shocked after discovering that none of their checked-in baggage had arrived with them. What started as a routine landing quickly descended into confusion, as tired travellers waited around empty conveyor belts, only to realise their luggage was missing entirely, according to a ToI report. The incident involved flights IX-2936 from Bengaluru and IX-1634 from Chennai, which landed at 8.23am and 8.50am, respectively. Passengers were directed to collect their luggage from belts 4 and 3, but after prolonged waits, it became clear that no baggage was arriving, reported TOI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo "I waited for more than an hour, but the belt was empty," said Vivek Sharma, a passenger from Bengaluru. 'Luggage to be delivered to passengers home addresses'. "Airport staff informed us that due to bad weather in Bengaluru, our luggage was not loaded. Despite repeated enquiries at the airline's counter, we were given no clear answers about where our bags were or when we would get them back," Sharma added. "All my medicines are in that luggage. I can't wait another day," he said. Live Events CISF personnel and airline staff had to step in to manage the crowd, assuring passengers that arrangements were being made to bring the baggage on subsequent flights. Airline representatives blamed the issue on bad weather in Bengaluru and Chennai, compounded by Patna airport's short runway. They also cited weight restrictions and safety protocols as reasons for not loading the baggage. "The luggage will be delivered to your home addresses once it arrives," airline staff told the crowd. Airport officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the primary issue was the aircraft's load factor. "This happens occasionally when departing from Patna where airlines are forced to unload checked baggage to meet the maximum take-off weight. The airport's shorter runway makes it more likely," said an official. Air India Group is avoiding certain airspace in the Middle East, resulting in longer flight durations while Air India Express is cancelling some services due to the evolving situation. The group has two airlines -- Air India and Air India Express -- and the latter operates a significant chunk of the services to the Middle East with narrow-body planes. "Amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region, Air India Group confirms that our flights currently do not operate over the airspaces of Iran, Iraq, and Israel. "As a proactive measure, we will be progressively avoiding the use of certain airspace over the Persian Gulf in the coming days, opting instead for alternative paths for flights to destinations, including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait," Air India said in a statement on Sunday. As per the statement, the adjustment may lead to extended flight durations for these services as well as for select flights to/from Europe and North America. According to some travel industry bodies, ticket bookings for Air India flights have seen a drop of up to 20 per cent on international as well as domestic routes, while average fares have declined 8-15 per cent as a result of the plane crash in Ahmedabad. An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed on June 12, seconds after takeoff, killing over 270 people onboard and on the ground. The second source said services are being cancelled on account of the escalating tensions in the Middle East as well as airspace congestion. Passengers are being informed in advance about the cancellations, the source added. There was no official comments from Air India Express on the flight cancellations. Air India operates flights to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Jeddah in the Gulf region. Meanwhile, in the statement, Air India also said it is in continuous consultation with its external security advisors and is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation, ready to implement additional measures, if required, to uphold the safety and integrity of our operations.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
6k tickets cancelled, Kedarnath choppers to be grounded till Sept 15
Dehradun: Chopper operations to Kedarnath remained suspended for the seventh straight day on Saturday after a crash killed seven people on June 15, grounding eight operators, cancelling thousands of bookings and causing financial losses over Rs 4 crore in Rudraprayag district. Sources said helicopter services are expected to resume only around Sept 15, after the end of the monsoon season. District tourism officer Rahul Chaubey said no bookings were made beyond June 22 due to the halt, which was initiated in the wake of monsoon and pending safety directives. Chaubey, who also oversees helicopter services on the Kedarnath route, said, "Around 900 tickets are being cancelled each day as the choppers are not operating since June 15, which means anything between 5,400 to 6,000 tickets have been cancelled in this duration. We are waiting for instructions from U ttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) before proceeding any further." Since the Kedarnath yatra began, 56,044 pilgrims have taken helicopter rides from Guptkashi, Sirsi and Phata, while 54,209 have returned from Kedarnath to these helipads. The June 15 incident was the fifth helicopter-related mishap on the Char Dham route in 45 days. On May 8, six people died in a crash near Gangotri In response to the rising number of crashes, Uttarakhand high court took suo motu cognisance of the June 15 incident and sought a reply from the state on safety lapses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the implementation of stricter norms, including the deployment of twin-engine helicopters, mandatory real-time weather cameras, and regular fitness checks for choppers. He also ordered a command-and-control centre to be set up in Dehradun. Environmental concerns have also surfaced, with residents and activists flagging the ecological toll of frequent helicopter traffic on the fragile Himalayan region, calling for operations to be suspended until proper safeguards are enforced.
