Uttarkashi Helicopter Crash: AAIB Preliminary Report Says Rotor Hit Overhead Cable During Emergency Landing Attempt
An AAIB report revealed a BELL 407 helicopter crash in Uttarkashi, killing six, was caused by the main rotor hitting a fiber optic cable during an emergency landing attempt. International agencies are assisting the investigation.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the initial report into the tragic helicopter crash that took place in Uttarkashi in May this year. The accident involved a BELL 407 helicopter, which was operated by Aerotrans Services Pvt Ltd. . A total of six people died in the crash, including the pilot. One person sustained serious injuries.
According to the report by the AAIB, the helicopter had been descending for 20 minutes when it began descending from its designated altitude. The report mentions that in an attempt to make an emergency landing on the Uttarkashi-Gangotri National Highway, the aircraft's main rotor came into contact with an overhead fiber optic cable running parallel to the road. The collision with the finer cable led to the crash of the helicopter.
"The aircraft failed to land and subsequently tumbled down the hillside, eventually coming to rest against a tree roughly 250 feet into a gorge," the report said.
The report also said that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), USA, and the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), Canada, have appointed official representatives and technical advisors to assist with the probe of the crash.
"The investigation team is working closely with them to decide the next steps needed to find out the exact cause of the crash. Records obtained from various stakeholders are currently being scrutinized.," it said.
The chopper crash in Uttarkashi was one of the five crashes on the Char Dham route in six weeks. The latest in the row is the chopper crash in the Kedarnath region on June 15 that killed all seven people aboard, including a two-year-old girl.
A committee was formed by the Uttarakhand government following the June 15 crash to prepare standard operative procedure (SOP) for operation of helicopters in the state. The report will be submitted by the committee by August 15 to prevent further chopper accidents in the future.
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