Chopper landing in Kedarnath raises scare

Mumbai: A serious incident involving a recent helicopter hard landing at

Kedarnath

helipad has drawn focus on the safety aspects of these high-altitude, high demand flights, reports

Manju V. A

video of the May 29 incident showed a helicopter bounce on touchdown to swerve uncontrollably. The

Directorate General of Civil Aviation

thereafter issued an advisory asking pilots to return to base if the tailwind component is beyond the permissible limit. Industry sources said pilots operate these flights under severe stress and that advisory is unlikely to be entirely followed. Open only from April to November, the Kedarnath temple is inaccessible by road. Pilgrims trek 16 km uphill from

Gaurikund

or take a helicopter from

Guptkashi

, Phata or Sersi.