'Cannot see anything, …': AAIB report reveals pilot’s last words in Kedarnath crash, flags safety gaps

The Bell 407 aircraft, registered VT-BKA, was returning from Kedarnath when it encountered sudden, dense cloud cover. (File photo)

"Cannot see anything, turning…”, were the last words of Captain Rajveer Singh Chauhan before his Aryan Aviation helicopter plunged into a hillside near Gaurikund on June 15, killing all seven people aboard.

The Bell 407 aircraft, registered VT-BKA, was returning from Kedarnath when it encountered sudden, dense cloud cover.

The helicopter departed Guptkashi at 5:10 am following routine pre-flight checks, including a breathalyser test and weather review via valley CCTV feeds. It reached Kedarnath in about ten minutes, dropped off passengers, and took six passengers on the return leg. The standard exit route from the valley requires helicopters to maintain 9,000 ft due to rapidly changing cloud conditions.

The AAIB interim report has highlighted critical shortcomings in weather monitoring at Kedarnath. While the helipad is equipped with an automated weather instrument, it does not provide cloud information, which is a key factor in the valley’s unpredictable conditions, it has been learnt from a report in the Times of India.

Pilots relied largely on CCTV visibility, and no weather updates were circulated via the operators’ WhatsApp group that morning, states the report. It has also flagged the lack of a dedicated meteorological facility in the valley, describing the existing system as insufficient for safe flight operations.

Two other helicopters, VT-TBF and VT-TBC, were following VT-BKA. The pilot of VT-TBC later told investigators that he avoided the same cloud bank by taking a lower-altitude route. CCTV footage confirmed that the valley exit point was heavily obscured by drifting clouds at the time.

The crash claimed the lives of Captain Chauhan; Vikram Rawat, 45, a member of the Badri-Kedar temple committee; Vinod Devi, 66; Trishti Singh, 19; and Maharashtra residents Rajkumar Jaiswal, 41, his wife Shraddha, 35, and their two-year-old daughter Kashi. Captain Chauhan’s wife is a serving Lt Colonel in the Indian Army.

Following the tragedy, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revised its 2023 guidelines for Kedarnath shuttle operations. The updated rules require a dedicated control centre staffed with ATC and IMD meteorological support and prescribe minimum flight times for each shuttle sector.

The AAIB’s final report is still awaited.