Video shows AIIMS Sanjeevani heli ambulance crash landing in Kedarnath

The crash landing of the 'Sanjeevani' heli ambulance happened just a few metres below the helipad at the Kedarnath temple.

A heli ambulance from AIIMS, Rishikesh, on its way to Kedarnath to airlift an ailing pilgrim, crash-landed on Saturday in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, with the crash getting caught on camera and going viral on social media.

Helicopter of AIIMS Rishikesh's heli ambulance service crash-landed in Kedarnath due to damage to the rear part of the helicopter, in Rudraprayag on Saturday. (ANI)

The crash landing of the 'Sanjeevani' heli ambulance happened just a few metres below the helipad at the Himalayan temple. According to a PTI report, the heli ambulance nose-dived towards the helipad but ended up landing heavily on a flat surface a short distance away.

The heli ambulance had a pilot and two doctors onboard to attend to the patient. All three escaped the incident unhurt.

The videos going viral on social media show the heli ambulance twisting briefly anti-clockwise after crash landing. Such a landing resulted in its tail rotor breaking. Here is the video:

What did the authorities say about the heli ambulance crash landing in Kedarnath?

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, administration said in a statement that the heli ambulance crash landing incident occurred at around 11 am on Saturday. According to the statement, everyone on board the aircraft is safe.

“The Sanjeevani heli ambulance had gone from AIIMS, Rishikesh to Kedarnath to rescue Shree Devi, a pilgrim suffering from respiratory distress, when it developed a technical snag,” the Rudraprayag district tourism development officer Rahul Choubey told news agency PTI.

According to the officer's statement, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) will conduct an investigation into the crash landing incident.

The official also informed the media that the heli ambulance developed a technical fault before landing on the main helipad of Kedarnath. The pilot realised that there was a snag in the nick of time and thought it best to land on a flat surface just before the helipad. However, he added, the helicopter's tail rotor broke while landing.