In a near-miraculous escape, a helicopter carrying seven people, including six pilgrims, made an emergency landing near Kedarnath’s helipad early on Friday morning after developing a technical snag. The helicopter, a Leonardo A119 Koala owned by Kestrel Aviation, took off from the Sirsi helipad at around 7 am but lost control as it approached its destination.
Technical Snag Forces Emergency Landing In Kedarnath
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar provided details about the incident: “Today at around 7 am, a helicopter of Kestrel Aviation company, carrying six passengers along with a pilot, took off from Sirsi for Kedarnath Dham. Due to a technical snag in the helicopter, the chopper had to make an emergency landing some distance from the Kedarnath helipad.”
Gaharwar elaborated on the nature of the emergency: “The helicopter developed a technical snag in its rear motor, which prompted the pilot to make an emergency landing a few metres from the designated helipad on grassland. The pilot kept his cool and took a quick decision, averting a major mishap.”
Remarkably, all passengers and the pilot were unharmed. The pilgrims, after the emergency landing, continued their visit to the Kedarnath temple. “Everyone is safe and the pilgrims have even returned after having ‘darshan’ at the temple,” Gaharwar confirmed. He praised the pilot’s calm and decisive actions during the emergency, noting that such composure prevented a potentially disastrous outcome.
This incident comes after previous helicopter-related accidents in the region. In April 2023, a senior official from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) died after being hit by the tail rotor of a helicopter in Kedarnath. In October 2022, a chopper crash in Kedarnath resulted in the deaths of six devotees and the pilot. Following these incidents, UCADA had urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to establish an air traffic control system in Kedarnath to monitor helicopter operations.
During the Char Dham Yatra, helicopters frequently transport pilgrims to Kedarnath, on an average of 400 pilgrims daily. This high volume of flights lays the importance of stringent safety measures and prompt responses to technical issues.
Following the incident, there have been renewed calls for improved safety measures. Uttarakhand’s Chief Secretary urged pilgrims to register and adhere to allocated dates for a smoother and safer yatra experience. The frequent use of helicopters for pilgrimages necessitates stringent regulatory oversight to prevent future mishaps.
Friday’s incident, while harrowing, ended without loss of life, thanks to the pilot’s quick thinking and the helicopter’s robust emergency protocols. As investigations continue, authorities aim to implement enhanced safety measures to ensure the well-being of all pilgrims traveling to this esteemed Himalayan temple.
