The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will review helicopter operations to determine if services for the “Char Dham” yatra in Uttarakhand need to be curtailed after as many as four mishaps occurred in the past month, the DGCA said on Monday (June 9, 2025).
The aviation safety regulator barred Kestrel Aviation Private Limited from providing chopper services, pending inquiry into a mishap on June 7 in Rudraprayag district when an Agusta Westland 119 chopper made a precautionary landing on a road stretch soon after taking off from the Sirsi helipad. Five passengers and a pilot onboard escaped unhurt.
The DGCA has also ordered “enhanced surveillance” for helicopter operators involved in shuttle services and charter operations in Uttarakhand, it said in a statement. Saturday’s incident was the fourth such incident in a month and the DGCA has instituted an enquiry into all incidents.
On May 8, a chopper carrying pilgrims to the Gangotri shrine crashed near Uttarkashi, claiming six lives, including five pilgrims and the pilot. On May 12, the rotor blade of a chopper hit parked vehicles in Badrinath. On May 17, a heli ambulance from AIIMS Rishikesh crash-landed near the Kedarnath helipad in Uttarakhand after its tail hit the ground while landing.
