6 Dead as Trans Bharat Aviation Helicopter Crashes in Uttarakhand
Six people, including a pilot and five passengers from Bengaluru, died in a Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter crash in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.
A tragic aviation disaster struck Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday, October 30, 2026, when a Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter crash claimed the lives of all six people on board. The aircraft, an AS350B3 with registration number VT-HCX, went down in the rugged Hathi Pahar area near Chai village, close to Joshimath.
Timeline of the Tragedy
The flight was scheduled to transport passengers from the Badrinath helipad to the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun. The helicopter took off at approximately 1:12 p.m., but the journey was short-lived. Within just two minutes, at around 1:14 p.m., radio and radar contact with the aircraft was abruptly lost while it was flying over the Joshimath valley.
Victims Identified
The crash resulted in the deaths of the pilot and five passengers. The casualties have been identified as:
- Captain Himanshu Sabharwal (48): The pilot, a resident of Delhi.
- Pratap Bachihalli Ningaraju: A businessman from Bengaluru.
- Arun Salunke: A police inspector from Bengaluru.
- Shankar Gowda V.G.: A lawyer from Bengaluru.
- K. Sudhir: A passenger from Bengaluru.
- H.S. Nagaraja (also known as H.S. Nataraj): A passenger from Bengaluru.
Weather Warnings and Safety Concerns
Preliminary reports indicate that the disaster may have been triggered by adverse weather conditions and snowfall in the region. This has sparked significant controversy regarding the decision to clear the flight for takeoff despite existing weather alerts.
The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has raised serious questions about why the flight proceeded under such risky conditions. As an immediate precautionary measure, UCADA has grounded all helicopters operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Private Limited.
Rescue and Recovery Operations
The recovery mission was a massive inter-agency effort, involving the Indian Army, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Chamoli district administration, local police, and health department teams. Despite the challenging and rugged terrain of the Himalayas, the teams successfully recovered all six bodies from the site.
Investigation Underway
Two major aviation bodies are now scrutinizing the incident to determine the exact cause of the crash:
- Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB): A team has been dispatched to the crash site to examine the debris and retrieve the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): The regulator is conducting a thorough assessment of the operator's maintenance records and their adherence to mandatory safety protocols.
Government Response
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his profound grief over the loss of lives and has officially ordered a high-level inquiry into the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the government of Karnataka has extended its full support to the bereaved families. The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority is currently coordinating the process of repatriating the remains of the five Bengaluru residents back to their home state.