Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash: Who Were The Six On Board? Pilot, Five Passengers Identified

Uttarakhand Helicopter Crash: The six people aboard the helicopter that crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday have been identified. The passengers were reportedly from Bengaluru, while the aircraft was being flown by Captain Himanshu. According to the list shared by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the five passengers are:-

Names Of Five Passengers And Pilot

- Captain Himanshu – Pilot
- Prathapa – Passenger
- Arun – Passenger
- Shankar Gowda – Passenger
- Sudheer K – Passenger
- HS Natraja – Passenger

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A separate list circulating in reports gives expanded versions of some names, identifying them as Arun Salunke, H S Nagaraja, Prathapa Bachihally Ningarajan, Sudheer K and Shankargowda VB. According to the Chamoli district administration, all six people on board were men. 

Helicopter Was Operated By Trans Bharat Aviation

The helicopter was operated by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt. Ltd. and carried the call sign VT-HCX. It was travelling from Badrinath to Sahastradhara in Dehradun when it lost contact near Joshimath.

UCADA said the aircraft took off at approximately 1:14 pm. Its tracking system stopped recording its location while it was flying over the Joshimath valley.

Wreckage Spotted Near Chaien Village

The helicopter was later reported to have crashed near Chaien village, close to Joshimath.

Smoke was spotted in the forested area above the JP Dam, prompting authorities to intensify the search. Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer Nandkishore Joshi said a white object was seen burning in the forest area above the JP Dam, raising suspicion that it could be the missing aircraft.

Rescue Operation Launched After Crash

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said a joint rescue operation was launched with the district administration, disaster management department and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

In a post on X, he said: “We have received the unfortunate news of a helicopter crash near Chaien village, close to Joshimath. A joint rescue operation is being conducted by the district administration, disaster management department, and SDRF. I am continuously monitoring the entire incident. Instructions have been given to immediately airlift the seriously injured to higher centres for better treatment...”

The Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate also confirmed that teams from the Army, SDRF, police and health department were being sent to the site.