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Kedarnath: Chopper with 6 pilgrims crash-lands in Rudraprayag; all safe
The chopper that took off from Barasu crash-landed on the highway due to a technical glitch, said the nodal officer for helicopter services
Dehradun: A private helicopter carrying six pilgrims crash-landed on the Guptkashi–Gaurikund highway near Barasu in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Saturday afternoon, a senior official said, adding that there were no casualties. This marks the fourth helicopter mishap in the past month.
A statement issued by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) said, “Kestrel Aviation’s AW119 (Reg. VT-RNK) helicopter, piloted by captain RPS Sodhi, experienced a hard landing on the road adjacent to the Bharasu helipad earlier today. As per initial inputs, shortly after take off from the helipad, the pilot reported a suspected issue with the collective control getting stuck. In response, he executed a controlled force landing on the road near the helipad.All passengers are safe and unharmed. A team from DAS(NR) is being sent for onsite assessment.”
The helicopter had taken off from Barasu en route to the Kedarnath shrine and was forced to make a crash landing on the highway below due to a technical glitch around 1 pm, Rudraprayag district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey said.
The pilot sustained minor injuries while all passengers are safe. “The chopper was carrying six people, including the pilot. All passengers are safe. The pilot suffered minor injuries, including compression on his back, and has been taken to the hospital for treatment,” Chaubey, who is also the nodal officer for helicopter services, said.
Chaubey added, “The chopper’s tail broke in the incident as it collided onto a car parked on the roadside.”
He said efforts were underway to remove the “chopper’s tail that broke after it collided onto a car parked on the roadside” to restore smooth traffic flow.
“The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has been informed about the incident. The rest of the shuttle operations are continuing as per schedule,” Uttarakhand civil aviation development authority (UCADA) CEO Sonika said.
On May 8, aix people were killed after a helicopter en route to Gangotri Dham crashed in the Gangnani area of Uttarkashi district .While, a heli-ambulance from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, that had gone to airlift a patient suffering from respiratory distress at the Kedarnath shrine made a crash landing near the Kedarnath helipad on May 17. All three individuals on board, including a doctor and a member of the nursing staff, were safe.Another helicopter’s blade struck a vehicle at the Badrinath helipad on May 12, narrowly averting a major accident.
On May 24 last year, a chopper belonging to Kestrel Aviation and carrying six pilgrims made an emergency landing near the Kedarnath helipad. Days later, on August 31, when the same chopper was being airlifted to Chamoli’s Gauchar by an Indian Air Force MI-17 chopper for repair, it crashed near Lincholi by the Mandakini River in Rudraprayag district as the towing rope snapped.
