"Today, at around 5:20 am, a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, crashed near Gaurikund. There were six passengers, including the pilot (5 adults and 1 child)," news agency ANI reported.

"Aryan Aviation’s Bell 407 helicopter (Reg. VT-BKA), operating the sector "Shri Kedarnath Ji – Aryan Helipad, Guptkashi," was involved in a tragic accident today. There were five passengers, one infant, and one crew member on board," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement at 3.43 pm today.

The helicopter crash took place on the Kedarnath route in the Gaurikund area under Rudraprayag district.

Preliminary indications suggest that the probable cause may be Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT), with the helicopter reportedly airborne despite poor visibility and extensive clouding at the valley entry area. The exact cause will be determined through a detailed investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

Following the incident, a high-level meeting was convened by Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami at 11 AM, which was attended by senior officials of the Uttarakhand government, Secretary (Civil Aviation), DGCA, and associated teams. The following immediate actions have been taken:

Operations of Aryan Aviation for the Char Dham Yatra have been suspended with immediate effect.
Two helicopters belonging to M/s TransBharat Aviation—VT-TBC (PIC: Capt. Yogesh Grewal, CPL(H)-1453) and VT-TBF (PIC: Capt. Jitender Harjai, CPL(H)-1046)—were found to have been airborne under similar unsuitable weather conditions. Accordingly, the licenses of both pilots have been suspended for six months.
All charter and shuttle helicopter operations in the region have been suspended on 15th and 16th June 2025 as a safety precaution.
UCADA has been directed to hold a comprehensive review with all operators and pilots before any resumption of services, to ensure full alignment with safety protocols.
UCADA will also establish a dedicated Command-and-Control Room to monitor real-time operations and ensure immediate escalation of any risk indicators.
DGCA, has been directed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, to immediately post officers from Airworthiness, Safety, and Operations to actively oversee all helicopter activity in the Kedarnath valley and rigorously review the functioning of the UCADA Command-and-Control Room.

Helicopter crash

Helicopter crash kills 7 in Uttarakhand, days after Air India AI171 flight disaster