Helicopter crashes in Uttarakhand: 6, including pilot, killed

Dehradun: Six people, including the pilot, were killed after a helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday while flying from Badrinath to Dehradun, according to reports.

The aircraft, bearing call sign VT-HCX, took off from Badrinath at around 1.14 pm for Sahastradhara in Dehradun. It lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley amid adverse weather conditions. The wreckage was subsequently located near Chai village, close to the JP Power House and Marwari Bridge, around 2.20 pm

The victims were identified as passengers Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H.S. Natraja, along with the pilot, Captain Himanshu Sabharwal. All six bodies were recovered, officials said.

The incident prompted authorities to ground the entire helicopter fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation as a precautionary measure. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was monitoring the situation as rescue teams reached the crash site.

The tragedy has renewed concerns over helicopter safety in the Char Dham region. According to figures attributed to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the sector recorded nine aviation occurrences, including eight accidents and one serious incident, between 2015 and 2025.

The region witnessed four helicopter accidents during the 2025 pilgrimage season alone, two of them fatal. On June 15, 2025, a helicopter travelling from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed near Gaurikund, killing all seven people aboard.