Following the devastating chopper crash in Joshimath resulting in six fatalities, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority has implemented enhanced safety protocols. Pilots are now required to obtain separate flight clearances for each portion of …
EditionININUSUKGCCEnglishEnglishहिन्दीमराठीಕನ್ನಡதமிழ்বাংলাമലയാളംతెలుగుગુજરાતીWeatherSign InTOIToday's ePaperLiveNewsCity Newsdehradun NewsUttarakhand tightens Char Dham chopper rules after Joshimath crash, separate clearance needed for every sortieTrendingIAS Shikhar AgrawalDelhi PollutionDelhi RainGandhi's GrandsonLucknow MurderSaurav DasIAS Shikhar AgrawalDelhi PollutionDelhi RainGandhi's GrandsonLucknow MurderSaurav DasIAS Shikhar AgrawalDelhi PollutionDelhi RainGandhi's GrandsonLucknow MurderSaurav DasUttarakhand tightens Char Dham chopper rules after Joshimath crash, separate clearance needed for every sortieEdited by Prachi Kumawat / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Nov 01, 2026, 19:02 ISTCommentsShareAaText SizeSmallMediumLargePrint After Joshimath helicopter crash, UCADA makes flight-by-flight clearance mandatory for pilots DEHRADUN: In the wake of the fatal helicopter crash near Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, pilots operating on the Char Dham route will now have to obtain separate clearance from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) before every flight.The directive follows instructions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has tightened flight permissions as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding Friday's crash that killed all six people on board.The helicopter crashed on a hillside near Chai village in Joshimath while returning to Dehradun from the Badrinath shrine.Earlier, UCADA granted permissions for entire routes, allowing operators to cover multiple destinations and return to the original point under a single clearance.
In this case, the helicopter had been granted permission for the complete journey from Dehradun to Badrinath and back.UCADA chief executive officer Prateek Jain told PTI, "Now, the DGCA has categorically stated that for every sortie between one point and the second point, pilots would require clear permission from UCADA. Till now, permission was given from the initial point for covering various locations, and then again to return to the original point.
But now, pilots will need separate permission for every route."The DGCA has now said that if we have issued permission from Sahastradhara to Badrinath and from there, the pilot wants to go to Kedarnath, then again the pilot would require permission from UCADA," Jain added.On Saturday, UCADA had also announced that helicopters operating on the Char Dham pilgrimage route must carry a co-pilot as an additional safety measure.The private operator's helicopter that crashed near Chai village had received clearance when it departed from Sahastradhara in Dehradun.
However, officials said the investigation would establish whether weather conditions were unsuitable for flying when the aircraft took off from Badrinath.Jain said a weather monitoring station had been set up at the Badrinath shrine. He added that pilots generally coordinate with one another about weather conditions before taking off."We have our weather observation system at Badrinath; however, we lack such a system in the valley near Joshimath. So, if any inclement weather was reported by a pilot who went before this one, they (the pilot) should have informed this pilot also.
This is under investigation as to whether it could have been the fault of the earlier pilot, because when sorties are done, we usually permit two or three choppers together so that they can go as buddies to each other," Jain said.He further said pilots remain in contact during flights, particularly to share information about changing weather conditions.UCADA officials told PTI that three helicopters had taken off within a 15-minute window before and after the crash."One chopper took off about six to seven minutes before the one that crashed, and another around eight minutes after.
These three helicopters were supposed to fly together since pilots communicated via radio. They usually alert each other about rain patches in the valley or change direction to avoid poor weather.
We are now investigating all aspects of this situation," the UCADA CEO added.As part of the probe, investigators will question pilots of helicopters that took off from Badrinath before and after the crash, along with the operators of those aircraft.The mortal remains of all six victims were recovered and sent to AIIMS Rishikesh on Sunday morning, the Chamoli district administration said.(With PTI inputs)Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorPrachi KumawatPrachi Kumawat works with the Editorial Desk at The Times of India.
She primarily covers city news and the developments shaping the city.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosPhotostoriesHot PicksUS Midterm Elections 2026GST changesMumbai local trainDelhi traffic advisoryCyclone MurasuSingapore AirlinesKarnataka coaching banAlphabet stockDA hikeBhutan floodTop TrendingPatrick and Brittany Mahomes BusinessTravis KelceJason KelceRohit SharmaAlphabet ShareDelhi WeatherKerala High CourtMumbai SuicideH1B VisasPatrick And Brittany Mahomes Soccer LeagueTired of too many ads?go ad free nowTrending StoriesIn DehradunIn CityNo trace of 8 missing in Kedartal: Heavy snowfall hampers search, SDRF deploys more teamsMom, 6yo die as speeding car hits family on Sitarganj HighwayFill teaching vacancies in 6 UTU-affiliated colleges through regular appointments within 6 months: HC1 held for duping man on pretext of Dubai job; 61 passports seized‘Selling previously sold motorcycle as new is unfair trade practice’4 Gurukul Kangri staff held after assault on registrarElephant kills 55-year-old woman in Khatima10th edition of 2-day Rajpur Nature Festival begins in DoonHeli crash: Did chopper take off during orange alert despite aviation authority’s warning?U’khand police adopt new flag, insignia and crestWestern Himalaya’s Eurasian eagle-owl, one of the world’s largest owl species, photograped for the first time in Eastern Himalayan foothills near BuxaDelhi AQI at 261, worst this season: New winter curbs begin with traffic snarls; know what restrictions are in forceRs 5,000 UPI trail, cybercafe CCTV help Delhi Police rescue 13-year-old within 3 hoursOver 1k monks join robe offering ceremony at Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodh GayaYouth living with girl as ‘brother’ found hanging in Begusarai rented houseThree UP districts excel nationally in administrative practicesDebates before PUTA poll bring teachers’ concerns to foreKolkata schools gain ground in national rankings; Birla High, Heritage enter ‘Ivy League’ with two starsBengal researcher bags PharmInnova honour; Shah calls for stronger pharma R&D pushUjjain hotel tragedy: 4 die of suffocation while cleaning waste chamber, 2 fall ill during rescueTired of too many ads?go ad free nowDaily PuzzlesConnectThe Perfect TracePlay Now Loop The LoopPuzzle CircuitPlay Now Daily CrosswordSpecial puzzlePlay Now Explore More PuzzlesExplore Every CornerAcross The GlobeTaylor and Travis DonationPhiladelphia professor arrestGermany ProtestCody RhodesIndia vs MalaysiaTaylor Swift and Travis CharityIndia BLOC MarchLamar JacksonMamata BanerjeeTim SeifertAnant AmbaniNitin NabinMallikarjun KhargeHoney Singh Nephew DeathIran WarShreyas IyerCM PunkChetan Singh JouramajraFrance ProtestGautam GambhirTanvi PatriCyclone MurasuGracie HuntJason Kelce Private JetBrittany MahomesUS Strikes IranDonald TrumpGlenn PhillipsArshdeep SinghVaibhav SooryavanshiAbout usCreate Your Own AdTerms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy Privacy policyAdvertise with usRSSNewsletterFeedbackePaperContact UsEditorial PolicyLiving and EntertainmentCricbuzzLifestyleNewspaper SubscriptionFood NewsTVTimes PrimeTravel DestinationsWhats HotETimesTimes PetsServicesBreaking NewsTimes MobileGadgets NowCity NewsWork with UsColombiaTOI AutoLuxury TOI HomesTOI Home & DecorEcopreneurWellnessAIQHot on the WebSaif Ali KhanBabil KhanRichard SimmonsJack LowdenAakash KaushikAkshay OberoiAadarsha Kutumbam Box Office CollectionAjay DevgnNikolaj CosterCult Box Office CollectionMark PhillipsUdta Teer Box Office CollectionRavi TejaRanbir KapoorPony VermaJuhi ChawlaRitika SinghOlusola OlonadeJailer 2 CollectionRajpal YadavGrace De SouzaAnirudh RavichanderNagarjunaRavi TejaSaurabh SachdevaFarah KhanHrithik RoshanBaby NamesDrishyam 3 Box Office CollectionHoroscope TodayBajaj Alianz CompensationRajnath SinghNext Generation CorvettesCircumstantial EvidenceNorth Korea Ballistic MissileModerate DrinkingBurmese PythonViolet ClintonUniversity Of CambridgeDAC Defence ApprovalsSpain Conservation ProjectCaptions For Instagram PostsTrending TopicsBhubaneswar Hit and RunAmit ShahWeather TomorrowPanchkula School AssaultDelhi Traffic RestrictionsBittu TabahiMumbai Local Mega BlockUttarakhand Helicopter CrashAndhra Pradesh Red AlertBengaluru RapeGandhis GrandsonDelhi WeatherDelhi Orange AlertSupreme CourtGreater Noida Pnb ScamBihar MLC ElectionsDelhi Metro Magenta LineDiljit Dosanjh ConcertMumbai Consumer CommissionJamai PollsWeather ForecastDelhi MetroKerala High CourtJaipur Consumer CommissionMumbai MurderKanyakumari Harassment CasePunjab MurderShivpuri TragedyGuwahati MurderAmritsar MurderJeff BezosChatGPT Medical DosageAndy JassyDiwali Projectors SaleDavid ZinsnerSpaceX RevenueBinance HackMustafa SuleymanJeevan Pramaan FacilityApple iPad MiniMalaysia AI Chip SeizePopular CategoriesHeadlinesSports NewsBusiness NewsIndia NewsWorld NewsInternational SportsHealthBreaking NewsTravelAstrologyDeorhiTOI Young LeadersTOI Home Decor AwardsPower Creator Awards 2026The Times of India EcopreneurGold Rate TodayWeather TodaySilver Price TodayDelhi Weather TodayPetrol Price TodayDiesel Price TodayCNG Price TodayLPG Price TodayPetrol Price MumbaiFIFA 2026Is Bank Open TodayFIFA 2026 ScheduleIs Bank Open TomorrowPublic Holidays in JuneBank Holidays in JuneTrending Videos“Here to protest against the attack on the country’s constitutional systems”Why India coach Gautam Gambhir was all praise for Shreyas Iyer | Report from HamiltonDilwali Diwali Trailer