A chopper crash that changed the political landscape of united Andhra Pradesh

The helicopter crash that killed YSR reshaped Andhra Pradesh's politics, empowering Jaganmohan Reddy and reviving the TRS.

The tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) brought back memories of the unfortunate demise of the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter accident — an event that dramatically changed the political landscape of the State in 2009.

A Bell 430 twin-engine helicopter, which was in operation for 11 years and owned by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, took off on September 2, 2009, at 8.38 a.m., in mostly clear weather conditions from the city’s Begumpet Airport, which is incidentally hosting the ‘Wings India 2026’ aviation event, the largest civil aviation show in Asia. The crash killed not only Reddy but four others comprising IAS officer P. Subramanyam (Principal Secretary to the CM), personal security officer A.S.C. Wesley and two pilots — Group Captain S.K. Bhatia and co-pilot M.S. Reddy.

However, 45 minutes into the flight, the helicopter encountered severe weather conditions owing to cumulonimbus clouds, zero visibility, and heavy rain. It soon lost contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and crashed into a hillock near Pavuralagutta in Kurnool district, part of the Nallamala forest range.

It took almost 24 hours for rescue teams including the elite Greyhounds anti-Naxal force and Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters to locate the wreckage. Reddy’s death was officially announced by then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Following his demise, the then A.P. Finance Minister K. Rosaiah took charge as caretaker Chief Minister and continued in the post for a year till he was replaced by N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The entire State plunged into mourning, with leaders from national and regional parties expressing their condolences. The Congress leadership was in a state of shock and struggled to handle the political vacuum created by Reddy’s sudden death.

Reddy, popularly known as YSR, had almost single-handedly led the Congress to victory in 2004 after a gruelling padayatra across the State and repeated the feat in 2009, though with a reduced majority. Realising that the party had lost some ground, he prepared to launch Rachabanda, an interactive outreach programme to directly hear people’s grievances, beginning from Anuppalle in Chittoor district.