Official Reveals Why Chopper, Being Airlifted By MI-17, Crashed In Kedarnath

A defective helicopter being airlifted from Uttarakhand's Kedarnath to Gauchar by an Indian Air Force chopper crashed this morning. The helicopter, which belonged to Crystal Aviation, crashed near the Mandakini River in Lincholi.

The chopper had been lying in disuse since its emergency landing in Kedarnath on May 24 after developing a technical snag and was being taken to the Gauchar airstrip with the help of the MI-17 aircraft for repair. 

No one was injured in the accident, which was caught on camera, officials said.

An official said the pilot had to drop the snag-hit chopper as the MI-17 started losing balance.

"The helicopter was being taken to Gauchar by hanging it from the Air Force's MI-17 chopper at around 7 am. As soon as it covered a little distance, the MI-17 started losing balance due to the weight of the helicopter and wind," Rudraprayag district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey said.

Sensing the danger, the pilot dropped the helicopter in the valley after seeing a vacant spot near the Tharu camp, he said.

There was no passenger or luggage in the helicopter, he said.

In the May 24 emergency landing by the helicopter, all seven people on board, including pilgrims, escaped unhurt.