DGCA starts special audit of Kedarnath helicopter operator after official's death

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started a special audit of a helicopter operator Kestrel Aviation in Kedarnath, days after an official of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) was killed after being hit by a chopper's tail rotor blade after the inspection of the helipad.

DGCA has already ordered the services of the operator to be grounded after the official's death on April 23.

A senior DGCA official confirmed that the operator has been grounded since the incident and a special audit has started on Monday.

The deceased official who was identified as Amit Saini, 35, was the finance controller of UCADA. He was present at Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) helipad for audit and inspection work.

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"When he was about to board the helicopter he was struck by the tail rotor blade and died on the spot," an official had earlier said.

The official added that they are conducting another audit of the operator to ensure safe operation. After the incident, all other operators were asked to ensure high-level safety guidelines during operations.

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