Trans Bharat Helicopter VT-HCX Crashes Near Joshimath, All Six Aboard Killed

Trans Bharat Aviation helicopter VT-HCX left Badrinath for Sahastradhara Heliport in Dehradun at about 1:14 p.m. IST on Friday, October 30, 2026, according to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. UCADA said the aircraft lost communication over the Joshimath valley and its tracking feed stopped.

Officials said the helicopter crashed on a hillside near the JP Power House by Marwari Bridge around 2:20 p.m. IST. Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar said all six people on board died and their bodies were found.

Key details

• On board: Capt. Himanshu and five male passengers from Bengaluru — Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, and H S Natraja.
• Route: Badrinath to Sahastradhara Heliport, Dehradun. Registration VT-HCX. Operator Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd.
• Site: hillside near the JP Power House by Marwari Bridge, near Chai village in Joshimath, Chamoli district.
• Rescue: Chamoli administration, police, SDRF, Army, and ITBP. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was monitoring the operation.
• Precaution: the entire Trans Bharat Aviation fleet was grounded.

Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd's helicopter bearing call sign VT-HCX, operating from Badrinath to Sahastradhara, Dehradun, which took off at approximately 13:14 hours has been reportedly missing.

Why it matters

A Char Dham pilgrim helicopter flight crashing on a Joshimath hillside puts UCADA, Chamoli responders, and every operator still flying the circuit under the same public record for the rest of the season.

What happens next

Responders remain at the hillside site. When will federal investigators publish the first formal account of VT-HCX?