A helicopter carrying pilgrims from the Kedarnath shrine crashed early Sunday in the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility, killing all seven people on board, the fifth helicopter accident on the Chardham Yatra route since the pilgrimage started on April 30.
The Civil Aviation Ministry suspended the operations of the helicopter operator and issued a slew of safety directions after the tragedy, which came just days after one of the deadliest air disasters where an Air India flight to London crashed in Ahmedabad just after take-off, killing 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
As per report by PTI, The seven people on board the Bell 407 helicopter, operated by private firm Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd, included a two-year-old child and the pilot. They hailed from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The civil aviation ministry said it has suspended the operations of Aryan Aviation for the Char Dham Yatra and has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to immediately post officers from airworthiness, safety and operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath Valley.
Preliminary indications suggest that the probable cause may be Controlled Flight into Terrain, with the helicopter reportedly airborne despite poor visibility and extensive clouding at the valley entry area, the ministry said in a statement.
