Kedarnath helicopter crash: Case registered against private helicopter firm

A case has been registered against helicopter service operating firm Aryan Aviation Private Ltd for alleged negligence in connection with the chopper crash near Kedarnath on Sunday which killed all seven people on board, including a two-year-old child and the pilot.

The Bell 407 helicopter, which crashed due to bad weather in the forests of Gauri Mai Khark between Gaurikund and Triyuginarayan, belonged to Aryan Aviation Private Limited.

A case has been registered against Aryan Aviation’s accountable manager Kaushik Pathak and manager Vikas Tomar at Sonprayag police station under BNS and section 10 of the Aircraft Act 1934, police said.

The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Revenue police Sub Inspector Rajiv Nakholia posted at Phata, a small town located near the Himalayan temple.

The complaint states that Aryan Aviation was allotted the first slot from 6 am to 7 am for helicopter operations on June 15, while this accident happened before that at 5:30 am.

In addition, despite the sky being cloudy and foggy since morning, the weather conditions were not checked before the helicopter took off.

The complaint states that the SOP issued by the DGCA and Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority was ignored while the company managers knew very well that doing so could cause loss of life and property.

By doing so, Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd and its managers showed gross negligence towards their responsibilities, due to which the crash occurred, the complaint added.