New Delhi: For pilgrims heading to Kedarnath, a helicopter ride can turn a difficult trek into a journey of barely a few minutes. But the short flight from the foothills to the Himalayan shrine is far from a routine commute. The aircraft must navigate narrow valleys, steep mountain ridges and unpredictable weather, often with limited space to manoeuvre or make an emergency landing.
The concerns have resurfaced on 30 October, after a helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation went missing near Joshimath while flying from Badrinath to Dehradun. The aircraft had taken off around 1.12 pm with six people on board, including the pilot. Officials later confirmed that it had crashed near Chayi village in Chamoli district.
The risks became starkly apparent in 2025, when a series of helicopter accidents during the Char Dham Yatra raised questions about pilot experience, weather monitoring, flight schedules and regulatory oversight. One of the most serious incidents occurred on 15 June, when a helicopter carrying six passengers and a pilot from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed near Gaurikund, killing everyone on board.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s final report, released in October 2026, identified rapidly descending clouds, the decision to continue along the same route and altitude, and the pilot’s limited experience flying in the Kedarnath valley as contributing factors.
So, what makes these flights so difficult, why have accidents occurred repeatedly, and what kind of pilots are entrusted with carrying pilgrims through the Himalayas?
Why flying in the Himalayas is so challenging
Helicopters are often considered more versatile than fixed-wing aircraft because they can take off and land vertically, hover and operate from small helipads. But these capabilities do not make them immune to the challenges of high-altitude flying.
One of the biggest difficulties is the thin air at higher elevations. As altitude increases, air density falls, reducing the lift generated by the rotor blades and the power available from the engine. This means a helicopter has less performance margin to climb, hover or carry weight than it would at a lower altitude.
The effect is particularly important during take-off and landing, when the aircraft needs sufficient power to lift itself and its passengers. Operators must account for the helicopter’s weight, fuel, temperature, wind conditions and altitude before deciding whether it can safely operate.
The Kedarnath helipad, for instance, is located at approximately 11,500 feet above mean sea level. At such elevations, even a helicopter designed for high-altitude operations has to work within tighter performance limits.
The terrain adds another layer of difficulty. Unlike flying over a plain, where pilots have more options to change course or descend, mountain routes often pass through narrow valleys surrounded by steep slopes. A helicopter can find itself with limited options if it encounters an obstacle, strong winds or deteriorating visibility.
Mountain winds can also behave unpredictably. Air flowing over ridges can create turbulence, downdrafts and sudden changes in wind direction. These conditions can affect a helicopter’s stability and make approaches to small landing sites more complicated.
Weather is perhaps the most critical variable. Clouds can form rapidly around mountain peaks and descend into valleys, cutting off a pilot’s visual reference to the surrounding terrain. Rain, fog and poor visibility can make it difficult to distinguish the route ahead from the mountainside.
Most of these pilgrimage flights are conducted under Visual Flight Rules, which require pilots to maintain specified visibility and separation from clouds. If visibility deteriorates, continuing the flight can become dangerous. In a narrow valley, turning back or finding an alternative route is not always straightforward.
What kind of pilots fly these helicopters?
The helicopters carrying pilgrims are generally operated by private aviation companies under the regulatory framework of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Their pilots hold commercial helicopter pilot licences, known as CPL(H), and must be qualified to fly the particular helicopter type.
But a commercial licence alone does not make a pilot suitable for every kind of operation. Flying in the Himalayas requires additional knowledge and experience in high-altitude operations, mountain weather, route familiarisation and emergency procedures.
These pilots come from different professional backgrounds. Some have experience in civil helicopter operations, while others have previously served in the armed forces. An ex-military background, however, does not automatically establish proficiency in a particular civilian route or aircraft type.
The importance of route-specific experience was highlighted by the investigation into the June 2025 Gaurikund crash. The pilot had more than 2,000 hours of total flying experience, but had no previous experience flying in the Kedarnath valley before beginning operations there in May 2025.
The final investigation report recommended that pilots complete at least 50 hours of supervised hill-flying sorties with an experienced pilot before being cleared for single-pilot operations in the valley for the first time.
For the 2026 Char Dham season, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said pilots were required to have at least 750 hours of hill-flying experience, including 100 hours in the preceding year and at least 10 take-offs and landings at Kedarnath.
The distinction is important: experience in flying helicopters elsewhere does not necessarily translate into the skills required to operate in a narrow Himalayan valley.
A series of accidents that raised safety concerns
The 2025 pilgrimage season brought the risks into sharp focus. The Rajya Sabha’s Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture recorded four helicopter accidents during that year’s Char Dham Yatra.
On 15 June 2025, an Aryan Aviation Bell 407 crashed near Gaurikund while flying from Kedarnath to Guptkashi, killing all seven people on board.
The crash became a particularly important case study in the dangers of flying in the valley. The AAIB’s final report found that clouds had built up and descended towards the helicopter’s flight path. The pilot continued along the prescribed route and altitude, eventually losing visual references as the aircraft approached the valley exit.
The investigation found no evidence that a technical defect in the helicopter contributed to the accident. It also highlighted limitations in the weather information available to operators at the time.
The 2025 accidents were not the first such tragedies. On 18 October 2022, another Aryan Aviation Bell 407 crashed near Kedarnath, killing all seven people aboard. The AAIB’s investigation identified the crew’s failure to correctly assess deteriorating weather conditions as the probable cause.
For a pilot flying through the Himalayas, the most important decision is sometimes not whether the helicopter can complete the journey, but whether it should take off at all.