Joshimath, Oct 30: A helicopter flight carrying five passengers and a pilot ended in tragedy on Friday when the aircraft crashed into the hills of Joshimath while traveling from Badrinath Dham to Dehradun.
Disaster response teams from the Indian Army, Chamoli district administration, and the SDRF were dispatched following reports of smoke and a steep drop in altitude observed by an Army Signal Centre unit. Authorities later confirmed that all six occupants, including pilot Capt Himanshu, lost their lives in the incident.
The Civil Aviation Development Authority noted that tracking signals from the VT-HCX helicopter ceased shortly after departure from Badrinath at 1:14 pm. Following the recovery efforts, regulatory bodies declared the grounding of all Trans Bharat Aviation aircraft pending technical reviews.
State officials maintained that regional aviation safety measures will face thorough evaluation. Data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation reveals that the state recorded over half of the nation’s fatal helicopter accidents over the past five years, underscoring systemic concerns along Himalayan flight corridors.
