Helicopter Crash in Uttarakhand Kills Several, Including Bengaluru Police Inspector

Current Summary

A helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd, flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara in Dehradun, crashed near Chayee village close to the JP Power House in the Joshimath area of Chamoli district on Friday afternoon amid adverse weather and snowfall. The helicopter, call sign VT-HCX, took off from Badrinath around 1:14 pm and crashed around 2 PM in the hilly terrain of the Hathi Parvat area after losing communication over the Jyotirmath valley. A joint search and rescue operation involving the Army, police, district administration, SDRF and drone teams recovered the bodies of all six occupants — the pilot, Captain Himanshu, and five passengers. Five of the six victims were from Karnataka: Prathapa, a businessman from Hassan; Arun Salunke, an inspector with the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police; advocates Shankar Gowda and Sudheer K; and H S Natraja, a poultry businessman. The group had been on a private pilgrimage tour. Eyewitness accounts cited in reporting point to severe rain and poor visibility as possible factors in the crash. Karnataka's Chief Minister's Office and Relief Commissioner are coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities, including the Resident Commissioner's office at Karnataka Bhavan, to bring the bodies back to Karnataka, with a team travelling via Delhi to assist. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was personally monitoring the situation and has now ordered a formal investigation into the crash, directing officials to examine its cause, including the weather conditions and the loss of communication before the aircraft went down.

What Changed

• 31 Oct, 05:40 am
  The pilot has now been identified as Captain Himanshu, who died along with five passengers when the helicopter crashed near Joshimath on Friday. Eyewitness accounts cited in reporting point to severe rain and poor visibility as possible factors in the crash.
• 31 Oct, 05:30 am
  CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a formal investigation into the helicopter crash near Joshimath that killed all six people on board, including five pilgrims from Karnataka and the pilot.
• 31 Oct, 04:20 am
  The five Karnataka victims of Friday's helicopter crash have been identified as Prathapa, a businessman from Hassan; Arun Salunke, an inspector with the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police; advocates Shankar Gowda and Sudheer K; and H S Natraja, a poultry businessman. The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority said the helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation and carrying one pilot and five passengers, crashed around 2 PM Friday in the hilly terrain of the Hathi Parvat area. Karnataka's Chief Minister's Office and Relief Commissioner are coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities, including through the Resident Commissioner's office at Karnataka Bhavan, to bring the bodies back to Karnataka.
• 31 Oct, 03:20 am
  Karnataka Congress MLA H D Ranganath said five of the six victims of the Joshimath helicopter crash were from Karnataka, including two from his own Kunigal assembly constituency. He said the group had been on a private pilgrimage tour and had opted for a private helicopter service rather than travelling by road. A team from Karnataka was travelling to Dehradun via Delhi to assist with bringing back the bodies, and the Karnataka government was coordinating with Uttarakhand authorities.
• 31 Oct, 03:20 am
  All six occupants of a helicopter that crashed near Chayee village in the Joshimath area of Chamoli district on Friday afternoon have been confirmed dead. The helicopter, operated by private aviation company Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd and bearing call sign VT-HCX, was flying from Badrinath to Sahastradhara in Dehradun when it crashed near the JP Power House amid adverse weather. It took off from Badrinath around 1:14 pm, lost communication over the Jyotirmath valley, and its tracking system stopped transmitting. Bodies of the pilot and five passengers were recovered after a joint search and rescue operation involving the Army, police, district administration and SDRF, with drones and two Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority helicopters deployed for aerial reconnaissance. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was personally monitoring the situation.
• 31 Oct, 02:40 am
  Signal detected: Helicopter Crash in Uttarakhand Kills Several, Including Bengaluru Police Inspector

Background

Uttarakhand has recorded 13 helicopter accidents and 27 deaths over the past decade, according to a separate report, largely linked to pilgrim transport for Char Dham yatra and rescue operations in difficult mountain terrain.