Army Veteran Pilot Killed in Kedarnath Helicopter Crash Cremated in Jaipur
The last rites of retired Lieutenant Colonel Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the 37-year-old pilot who died in the recent Kedarnath helicopter crash, were performed in Jaipur on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Chauhan, an Army veteran with over 15 years of service, was captaining the Bell 407 helicopter for Aryan Aviation when it crashed on June 15 near Gaurikund, Uttarakhand, killing him and six others. His wife, also an Army Lieutenant Colonel, led the funeral.
Unpacked:
Preliminary assessments indicate that rapidly changing and adverse weather conditions played a major role in the crash. The Bell 407 helicopter lost communication with ground control shortly after takeoff and crashed into a dense forest area near Gaurikund, exploding on impact.
The crash on June 15, 2025, was the fifth helicopter accident in Uttarakhand in just six weeks, raising serious concerns about the safety and management of helicopter services in the region, especially during the Kedarnath pilgrimage season.
Besides pilot Lt Col Rajveer Singh Chauhan, the crash claimed six passengers: Vikram Rawat, Vinod Devi, Trishti Singh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal, and a two-year-old girl named Kashi.
In response to the crash, authorities halted helicopter services to Kedarnath for two days and are reviewing safety protocols. Eyewitness accounts and ongoing investigations have prompted calls for stricter safety measures and improved management of aerial services in the area.