Helicopter Being Airlifted by MI-17 Crashes in Kedarnath: Official Reveals Cause of Accident
News Highlights:
- Helicopter being airlifted from Kedarnath to Gauchar crashes near Mandakini River.
- The MI-17 chopper lost balance due to the weight of the helicopter and strong winds.
- No injuries reported; the crash was captured on camera.
- The helicopter had made an emergency landing in May due to a technical snag.
Full News:
A helicopter belonging to Crystal Aviation, which was being airlifted from Uttarakhand's Kedarnath to Gauchar by an Indian Air Force MI-17 chopper, crashed near the Mandakini River in Lincholi on Thursday morning.
The helicopter had been out of service since it made an emergency landing in Kedarnath on May 24 due to a technical issue. It was being transported to the Gauchar airstrip for repairs when the incident occurred. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident, which was captured on camera, officials confirmed.
According to Rudraprayag district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey, the MI-17 started losing balance because of the weight of the helicopter and strong winds shortly after takeoff around 7 am. The pilot, sensing the danger, dropped the helicopter in a valley near the Tharu camp where he spotted an open area.
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The helicopter was unoccupied at the time of the crash, and there was no luggage on board. During the May 24 emergency landing, all seven people on board, including pilgrims, had escaped unharmed.