Defective helicopter falls from air after towing rope snaps during Kedarnath airlift

A defective helicopter, which was being air lifted from Kedarnath by another chopper, accidentally fell from mid-air as the towing rope snapped, earlier today.

During a recovery operation, a Crystal helicopter that had been previously damaged during a landing at Kedarnath Dham slipped from an Air Force MI-17 helicopter and disappeared into the hills.

VIDEO | Uttarakhand: A defective helicopter, which was being air lifted from #Kedarnath by another chopper, accidentally fell from mid-air as the towing rope snapped, earlier today.#UttarakhandNews(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/yYo9nCXRIwPress Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 31, 2024

Rudraprayag district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey reported that the pilot was forced to release the snag-hit chopper after the MI-17 started losing balance during the airlift around 7 am. The MI-17, struggling with the weight of the helicopter and strong winds, began to tilt shortly after taking off. To avoid a potential disaster, the pilot dropped the helicopter into a valley, targeting a vacant spot near the Tharu camp.

Chaubey confirmed that there were no passengers or luggage on board the helicopter at the time. In a related incident on May 24, the same helicopter made an emergency landing with seven people on board, including pilgrims, all of whom escaped unharmed.