Agency: The Thimphu District Court on 29th August 2025 awarded Nu 57.36 million (mn) or USD 641,592 (1USD = Nu 89.41) in economic and punitive damages to Gyem Gyeltshen and his two surviving daughters Kinley Pelden and Kinley Wangmo in the Druk Air helicopter crash case.
On the afternoon of 3rd March 2023, a Druk Air helicopter carrying 42-year-old Gyem Gyeltshen, his wife and their two daughters crashed at around 2.25 pm at Wachey in Lunana.
The crash resulted in the death of Gyem’s 38-year-old wife Dresang Pema and their four-year-old daughter, Nima Pelden. Gyem, his older daughter, Kinley Pelden and the pilot Stefan survived with injuries.
Two months before the crash The Bhutanese had published an investigative story in January 2023 on the Royal Bhutan Helicopter Services (RBHSL) which pointed out the mistreatment of Bhutanese helicopter pilots by expat pilots, safety issues being overlooked, break down in relations between the pilots and more. The article warned of a possible crash if nothing was done to improve safety standards.
Druk Air did not take any action, and the issues persisted until the crash on 3rd March 2023.
The Final Investigation Report on the crash essentially said the probable cause was human error of the pilot caused by management and relation issues. The investigation found nothing wrong with the engine and machinery of the helicopter.
Druk Air had an insurance policy with RICBL that covered the helicopter and the passengers. RICBL in turn had reinsured it with eight mainly international reinsurance companies.
Druk Air moved quickly to claim insurance for its lost helicopter at USD 3.4 mn and got it quickly, however, it kept Gyem in the dark about the passengers’ insurance for almost a year.
As per the insurance documents the insurance companies were supposed to pay USD 200,000 for each death without any litigation, but both Druk Air and the international reinsurance companies kept Gyem in the dark and they tried to get him to accept USD 10,000 for each death and sign a waiver form.
The Bhutanese exposed this and ran a series of investigative stories on this issue in early 2024.
Despite the insurance policy mandating them to give USD 200,000 per death, the companies cited local laws like the Road Transport Safety Act and the Bhutan Penal Code to argue that the compensation of a Bhutanese life inclusive of the death rituals is Nu 813,000 each.
