Typically, an aircraft spinning out-of-control means disaster, tragedy and heartbreak. Fortunately for a group of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath Temple in the Himalayas, luck (or a deity of their choice) was on their side recently, when their helicopter was able to make a safe landing with zero casualties.



In the video, you can see the helicopter coming in to land before it begins spinning, slowly but gathering speed, 100 meters from the helipad.


There were six passengers on board, headed for the temple in India’s north, where pilgrims can worship Shiva. According to preliminary reports, the helicopter developed a problem in its rear motor, which prompted the pilot to make an emergency landing. None of the six passengers or the pilot were injured.


The temple is inaccessible by road, forcing visitors to either make a 14-mile trek uphill or fly in via helicopter. Due to extreme weather conditions (these are the Himalayas, after all), the temple is only open to the public between the months of April and November. And even then, the area is no stranger to aerial misadventure — just last October, a helicopter flying to the temple was forced to make an emergency landing due to low visibility. During the 2013 flash floods in North India, the temple complex and surrounding town both suffered extensive damage.


The pilgrims on board were able to complete their visit to the temple before returning home, and I’m certain they were feeling particularly thankful on that particular day.