Sonali Tiwary
Seven people, including a two-year-old child, died when a helicopter crashed in India’s northern Uttarakhand state on June 15, 2025. The Bell 407 helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, took off from the temple town of Kedarnath around 5:30 AM, heading for Guptkashi, but crashed shortly after takeoff near Gaurikund.
The crash victims included pilot Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan, a former army officer who had recently become father to twins; a family of three from Maharashtra – Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, his wife Shradha, and their two-year-old daughter Kashi; Vinod Devi and her granddaughter Tusti Singh from Uttar Pradesh; and Vikram Rawat, an employee of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee.
Initial investigations suggest the crash was likely a “Controlled Flight into Terrain” – meaning the helicopter was under control but flew into the ground due to poor visibility. Dense fog and extensive cloud cover blanketed the area at the time.
Authorities have filed a case against two Aryan Aviation managers for “gross negligence.” The helicopter reportedly took off about 50 minutes before its scheduled flying slot of 6 AM to 7 AM, despite dangerous weather conditions – a clear violation of safety rules.
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In response, officials suspended all of Aryan Aviation’s operations and temporarily halted all helicopter services on the Char Dham Yatra route for two days. The licenses of two pilots from another operator, TransBharat Aviation, were also suspended for six months for flying in similarly poor conditions.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a thorough investigation, stating: “The negligence at whatever level has been committed will be identified and punitive action will be ensured.” He also called for stricter flight protocols and the establishment of a command center in Dehradun to better monitor helicopter operations.
Alarmingly, this crash marks the fifth helicopter incident along the Char Dham pilgrimage route in just six weeks, with a total of 13 lives lost. Previous incidents include another fatal crash on May 8 that killed six people, and three emergency landings due to technical problems or poor visibility.
The Char Dham Yatra attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually to four sacred Hindu temples in the Himalayas. Many wealthy pilgrims use helicopter services to avoid arduous treks in the mountainous terrain, creating a booming but increasingly scrutinized charter industry.
Safety experts point to the unique challenges of Himalayan flying: sudden weather changes, high altitudes affecting aircraft performance, and limited emergency landing options in the rugged terrain.
