This is the dramatic moment a helicopter pilot that was airlifting a second chopper dropped the aircraft - sending it crashing down a mountainside.

The MI-17 helicopter was called to winch the broken-down vehicle from Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, to Gauchar, India, on Saturday morning, August 31.

But the pilot reportedly lost balance due to wind and was forced to release the helicopter below. Footage shows it plunging to the ground near the Mandakini River.

District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey said: 'The plan was to take the helicopter to Gauchar airstrip on Saturday, with the help of MI-17 aircraft, for repair.

'As soon as it covered a little distance, the MI-17 started losing balance due to the weight of the helicopter and the wind, due to which the helicopter had to be dropped near Tharu camp.

'There was no passenger or luggage on the helicopter. An SDRF rescue team reached the scene as soon as information about the incident was received. The team is inspecting the situation.'

Officials said the private helicopter, which has now been written off, had previously made an emergency landing near the Kedarnath helipad in May due to mechanical issues.

It had previously used for transporting pilgrims to the Kedarnath temple.