History of Flight
On 23 April 2023, an Agusta AW119 MK-II helicopter, registration VT-RNK, operated by Kestral Aviation Pvt. Ltd., was conducting a non-schedule flight. The helicopter, with the pilot and a ground handler on board, landed at Kedarnath Helipad at approximately 1340 IST. The purpose of the landing was to pick up three passengers who were UCADA officials and to offload some items.
After landing, the pilot signalled the waiting passengers to stop approaching the helicopter. The ground handler then deboarded and began offloading items from the left-hand side. After completing the offloading, the ground handler moved to the right side, opened the right-side door for passenger boarding, and then moved back to the left side to close the left-hand door.
As the three passengers and other UCADA officials began approaching the helicopter, one passenger suddenly moved from the right side towards the rear of the helicopter, intending to go to the left side. This passenger came into contact with the running tail rotor blades and sustained fatal injuries.
Injuries to Persons
The passenger on the ground who contacted the tail rotor received fatal injuries. No other injuries were reported. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the helicopter, was uninjured.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter involved was an Agusta AW119 MK-II, registration VT-RNK, manufactured by Agusta. It was owned and operated by Kestral Aviation Pvt. Ltd. The helicopter was equipped with a single engine and a tail rotor. At the time of the accident, the helicopter was on the ground with rotors running.
Probable Cause
The investigation report did not explicitly state a probable cause for the accident.
Operational Context
The flight was part of helicopter shuttle services contracted by UCADA for Kedarnath. On 22 April 2023, UCADA had requisitioned Kestral Aviation to transport officials between Sahastradhara, Guptkashi, and Kedarnath. The accident occurred during the ground handling phase at Kedarnath Helipad.