Mother of pilot killed in Uttarakhand helicopter crash dies on his 'terahvi'

Mother of Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the pilot who lost his life in the recent Uttarakhand helicopter crash, died on the day of his 'terahvi' (thirteenth-day ritual) after suffering a heart attack. Vijay Laxmi Chauhan could not bear the shock of losing her son and died at their home in Jaipur's Shastri Nagar.

Family members said she had been deeply distressed since the accident and her health worsened rapidly after the final rites for her son. She was cremated soon after her death.

Rajveer Singh Chauhan, a former Indian Army pilot, had joined Aryan Aviation Private Ltd in October 2024. He was flying a Bell 407 helicopter that crashed near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's forest area on June 15. The helicopter, carrying six passengers from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, reportedly veered off course due to harsh weather and poor visibility, killing all seven people on board.

The helicopter took off at 5.17 am from Kedarnath, heading for Guptkashi with passengers on board. Officials said it likely strayed off course due to severe weather and poor visibility in the valley, which contributed to the crash.

Those on board the ill-fated helicopter included pilot Rajveer, Vikram Rawat, Vinod, Trishti Singh, Rajkuma, Shraddha, and 10-year-old Rashi.

This was Uttarakhand's fifth helicopter crash in six weeks, raising fresh concerns about flight safety during pilgrim operations in the Himalayan region.

Rajveer's extensive experience in flying missions over difficult terrain made him a trusted pilot for high-altitude routes.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident. He said, "This morning, a helicopter crashed due to bad weather. I pray to God for those who lost their lives. An emergency meeting has been called immediately, in which instructions have been given that the rules of our DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) should not be violated.

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(With inputs from Vishal Sharma.)