Five accidents in 40 days: Why helicopters crash repeatedly in Kedarnath? Precautions for pilgrims

A helicopter carrying pilgrims from Uttarakhand's Kedarnath crashed near Rudraprayag today around 5.20 am, killing seven people. As per reports, the chopper crashed into the Gauri Kund forests while the pilot was trying to land it safely, fighting poor visibility, amid adverse weather conditions in the region. Certain reports also point to technical issues with the chopper. That said, the exact reasons for the crash have not been officially ascertained yet. The helicopter was returning to Guptkashi from Kedarnath and had seven people on board, including the pilot and an infant. This is the fifth similar incident on the route in 40 days (certain reports say sixth). A few days ago, another chopper with five pilgrims had crashed on the Guptkashi - Gaurikund highway, though there were no casualties. 

Why repeated mishaps?
Why are such incidents repeating in Kedarnath? Govind Nair, who helms the operator 'Thumby Aviation' in the region, says that this year's weather conditions have been unusually harsh. "In a span of 40 days, five accidents is an alarming number. This time, the visibility has been poor and intermittent, and there are also faster cloud and fog buildups. Moreover, the climate has also been shifting rapidly. This has been an extremely unlucky year for aviation in general," he says. In such a circumstance, shouldn't additional precautions be taken from a safety standpoint?

According to him, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) is already monitoring the development closely, and there is also a war room. "This is not a new model, and an operator flying around 200 passengers a day is a well-established fact for 12 years. At the same time, if the weather is bad, nobody takes off. There is a good camaraderie between operators and pilots here. If one pilot says he is not taking off, others don't. The chopper service here has been in place since 2013-14, and the pilots in the sector are also quite experienced. There is an effective Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as well, already in place."

There is no Air Traffic Control in Kedarnath of Badrinath. Is that an issue? Govind Nair opines it's not. "Kedarnath, especially, is a very controlled, well-defined environment, and there is already a DGCA SOP on operating here. At a time, only about 6 helicopters are operated here, and nobody flouts that rule." Are additional services squeezed in at times, allegedly following VIP recommendations? He admits that it used to happen many years ago, but not anymore. "Around 2019 -20, it used to happen. And even around the time the services were launched initially, there were times up to 14 helicopters were there in the valley at a time. However, even then, so many accidents didn't happen," observes the operator.  

What can pilgrims do?
According to a travel industry insider from the region, pilgrims wishing to visit Kedarnath often opt for helicopter services as they can reach the dham in about 12 minutes. "However, they should book the services, understanding the risks. In our observation, often, the flights to Kedarnath are safe, but the return services encounter weather or even technical issues. Operators call off services if there is a chance of bad weather, but pilgrims often argue with them, quoting reasons like flight timings or other engagements planned."

The professional says that pilgrims shouldn't shy away from considering the 22 km trek to Kedarnath, if at all their groups have elderly who have difficulty walking. "There is the widely used pony service by licensed handlers, doli or kandi for the elderly that is carried by four porters, seating them on palanquins; and also the pithu or porter who carries people on their backs. Pilgrims can also consider these services instead of looking for the easier, costlier, yet riskier options," says the professional. 
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