Ministry of Civil Aviation on Sunday said that operations of Aryan Aviation for the Char Dham Yatra have been suspended with immediate effect after a helicopter of the company crashed in Uttarakhand, killing all seven people onboard.
Additionally, the licenses of two helicopter pilots belonging to M/s TransBharat Aviation have been suspended for six months for flying helicopters under unsuitable weather conditions.
“Two helicopters belonging to M/s TransBharat Aviation—VT-TBC (PIC: Capt. Yogesh Grewal, CPL(H)-1453) and VT-TBF (PIC: Capt. Jitender Harjai, CPL(H)-1046)—were found to have been airborne under similar unsuitable weather conditions. Accordingly, the licenses of both pilots have been suspended for six months,” the Ministry said.
As a safety precaution government has also suspended all charter and shuttle helicopter operations in the region on June 15 and 16, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority to hold a comprehensive review with all operators and pilots before any resumption of services.
“Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has been directed to hold a comprehensive review with all operators and pilots before any resumption of services, to ensure full alignment with safety protocols. UCADA will also establish a dedicated Command-and-Control Room to monitor real-time operations and ensure immediate escalation of any risk indicators,” the statement read.
In addition to this, Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to immediately post officers from Airworthiness, Safety, and Operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath valley.
“DGCA, has been directed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, to immediately post officers from Airworthiness, Safety, and Operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath valley and rigorously review the functioning of the UCADA Command-and-Control Room,” the statement read.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Aryan Aviation’s Bell 407 helicopter (Reg. VT-BKA), operating the sector “Shri Kedarnath Ji – Aryan Helipad, Guptkashi,” was involved in a tragic accident on Sunday. There were five passengers, one infant, and one crew member on board.
The Aviation Ministry said the exact cause of the accident will be determined through a detailed investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
Stay informed on all the , real-time updates, and follow all the important headlines in and on Zee News.
