A helicopter ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi crashed into a hill here amid dense fog on Tuesday, killing all seven people on board. The chopper – a Bell 407 operated by private company Aryan Aviation – burst into flames around 11.45 am at Dev Darshini in Rudraprayag’s Garud Chatti, District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh said. Aryan Aviation and four other operators flying on the Kedarnath Yatra route were recently fined Rs 5 lakh by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for certain violations, an official said.
In June this year, the DGCA issued an advisory to helicopter operators flying on the Char Dham pilgrimage routes. It came against the backdrop of an incident in which a helicopter bounced and turned 270 degrees while landing at the Kedarnath helipad in May, 2022. The advisory cautioned pilots about the presence of any tailwinds while approaching to land, particularly at Kedarnath.
If the tailwinds or crosswinds are beyond permissible limits, the approach must be abandoned and the helicopter must return to base, it advised. The DGCA said the operators must ensure that helicopter pilots are qualified and well rested.
Source: ZeeNews
