Uttarakhand: Chopper flies to Kedarnath despite weather warnings; probe ordered

Shuttle services to Kedarnath remain suspended, while chartered operations are permitted only after clearance: Uttarakhand civil aviation development authority

Dehradun: Uttarakhand civil aviation development authority (UCADA) ordered a probe on Wednesday after a chopper flew from Dehradun to Kedarnath despite warnings issued due to weather conditions, a senior official said.

The Heritage Aviation chopper flew from Dehradun to Kedarnath at 5.15 pm on July 14 (HT photo/ Representative photo)

“Shuttle services to Kedarnath remain suspended, while chartered operations are permitted only after clearance based on conditions such as weather,” UCADA chief executive officer Ashish Chauhan said.

The Heritage Aviation chopper flew to Kedarnath at 5.15 pm on July 14. “We initially granted permission to fly around 2 pm but later revoked it due to adverse weather conditions. Despite this, the chopper flew in violation of the denial,” Chauhan said.

A notice was issued to the company seeking clarification on the matter, Chauhan said, adding, “We are extra cautious and closely monitoring possible violations after the Kedarnath chopper crash.”

Amid growing safety concerns over helicopter operations along the Char Dham pilgrimage route—which includes four Hindu temples in Uttarakhand and sees tens of thousands of pilgrims annually, many of whom use helicopters to navigate the treacherous mountain terrain—authorities are reviewing current measures.

A chopper carrying pilgrims from Kedarnath crashed near Gaurikund, killing all seven people aboard, including a two-year-old girl, on June 15. It was the fifth incident involving choppers in six weeks on the Char Dham route. The civil aviation ministry said preliminary findings suggest “controlled flight into terrain,” with the helicopter airborne despite poor visibility. Operations for Aryan Aviation were suspended immediately. The ministry said the exact cause of the crash will be determined after an investigation by the aircraft accident investigation bureau (AAIB) of India.

The Uttarakhand government subsequently formed a committee to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for helicopter operations in the state. The committee, chaired by home secretary Shailesh Bagauli, will submit its recommendations to the state government by August 15 to prevent chopper accidents in the future.