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Char Dham: DGCA advisory on helicopter ops after hard landing in Kedarnath
The incident that prompted the advisory took place on May 31, when the helicopter approached the helipad for landing in Kedarnath. No injuries were reported.
A hard landing of a helicopter ferrying pilgrims to the high-altitude Kedarnath shrine has prompted the aviation regulator to issue an advisory to all chopper operators plying on the Char Dham pilgrimage routes, documents accessed by HT show.
No injuries were reported in the incident on May 31, when the helicopter approached the helipad for landing in Kedarnath. The operational advisory issued on Friday by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been seen by HT.
“On May 31, at around 1.30pm, a Bell 407 helicopter while landing at Kedarnath helipad made an unstable approach to the helipad,” an official of the regulator said on condition of anonymity. During touchdown, the helicopter struck the helipad surface hard, bounced up, and after having lost direction by about 270 degrees, settled down hard on the ground.”
“The helicopter lost control while landing,” another official familiar with the case said, declining to be named. “All pilgrims nearby panicked and started running away from the helipad, leading to chaos.”
Nine helicopter operators fly pilgrims to the helipad at Kedarnath.
The incident happened at a time when the Char Dham pilgrimage is in full swing in Uttarakhand. So far, at least 4.5 lakh pilgrims have embarked on the pilgrimage since it started on May 6 after a gap of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The highest turnout for the pilgrimage was reported in 2019 when 10 lakh people visited the shrine.
“DGCA is investigating the incident, and in the interim, has issued an operational advisory to all operators for strict compliance to safety standards as per joint standard operating procedures issued for these operations,” said the first official.”A spot check will also be conducted to ensure safety oversight on these operations.”
The advisory has asked pilots to exercise caution with regard to tail winds during approaches at the four high-altitude shrines, especially at Kedarnath which faces a constraint of a one-way approach.
“Adequate precautions are to be taken and if the tail / cross wind component is beyond the permissible limits, the approach is to be abandoned and helicopter is to return to base. With an increase in ambient temperatures and humidity, the power available decreases and consequently the load carrying capability reduces. This fact is to be kept in mind and, if required, the load shall be recalculated and reduced,” the advisory read.
Operators flying to the Kedarnath valley must also maintain adequate spacing, the regulator directed. Pilots fkying on the Char Dham routes should be adequately qualified and must take the mandatory rest period before each flight.
“Operators shall ensure that pilots are well rested and immediate corrective action is to be taken in case any signs of fatigue are detected in operating crew,” the advisory said. “Cases of such incidents are indicators of impending accidents, and shall not be accepted by this office.”
Strict action will be taken against operators and personnel who do not obey the rules, the regulator warned.
