Six people died after a helicopter crashed near Joshimath in Chamoli district on Friday, marking the first such accident in Uttarakhand during the 2026 pilgrimage season.
The aviation ministry had introduced new safety measures for 2026, including ATC units, weather tracking devices, ceilometers at five locations, and a 70% passenger capacity cap.
The AAIB issued a final report on an October 2025 Kedarnath valley crash, recommending pilots complete at least 50 hours of supervised dual hill-flying before solo operations.