Bhupinder kumar Laxmi
Pilot’s presence of mind averted a major accident, all passengers safe
Rudraprayag. There was a stir in Badasu area of Rudraprayag district when a helicopter going to Kedarnath was forced to make an emergency landing on the middle of the road due to a technical problem. This helicopter was going towards the Dham with devotees, but shortly after the flight, the pilot showed alertness and made a safe landing.
There were a total of seven people on board the helicopter, including five passengers, a pilot and a co-pilot. The co-pilot has suffered minor injuries, while all others are safe. As soon as the incident was reported, the police and administration team reached the spot and the passengers were sent to a safe place.
This helicopter of Crystal Aviation was landed on the road due to some technical fault after taking off from Sirsi. CEO Ukada Sonika said that the pilot showed alertness and made a cautious landing at a short distance from the helipad. DGCA has been informed about the matter and other heli services are continuing smoothly as per the pre-scheduled schedule.
It is worth noting that this is not the first case. Last month, AIIMS Rishikesh’s heli ambulance crashed while landing in Kedarnath. On May 8, six people, including five women, lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Gangani area near Gangotri. This accident was so serious that the helicopter broke into two pieces and two bodies were trapped inside which were taken out by cutting them.
