A helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. and flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara in Dehradun crashed after losing contact over the Joshimath valley on Friday, killing all six people on board, including the pilot.
The helicopter, bearing call sign VT-HCX, took off at approximately 1:14 pm. Communication with the aircraft was lost while it was flying over the Joshimath valley. Its tracking signal also disappeared, and its location could not be ascertained.
The bodies of all six people, including the pilot, have since been recovered from the crash site, according to an update. Joint teams of the Indian Army, Chamoli district administration, police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are carrying out rescue operations. Efforts are underway to transport the bodies from the remote crash site to the nearest road.
As a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. has been grounded, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said.
Pilot And Five Passengers Killed
According to UCADA, six people, including the pilot, were on board the helicopter.
The pilot has been identified as Captain Himanshu. The five passengers were Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K and HS Natraja.
Investigation Underway Into Helicopter Crash
An investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the crash. Speaking to ABP Ganga at the Sahastradhara helipad, an aviation official said the exact reason would be known only after a detailed probe.
Prateek Jain, CEO of the aviation company, said weather conditions are checked before flights take off. However, investigators will examine whether adverse weather, a technical fault in the helicopter or pilot error contributed to the crash.
He said the findings would be shared after the investigation is completed.
The incident has once again brought helicopter operations during the Char Dham Yatra under scrutiny. The Uttarakhand government has maintained that flights will not be permitted unless weather conditions are clear and that operators are being closely monitored.
A joint team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the aviation department is examining the incident from all angles.
