Updated 02:44 IST, December 20th 2024
CDS Bipin Rawat's Helicopter Crash: Human Error, Weather Conditions Cited In Report
A report on the Mi-17 V5 Helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, which claimed the lives of CDS Bipin Rawat stated that the crash occurred due to “Human Error”.

New Delhi: A report on the Mi-17 V5 Helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, which claimed the lives of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 10 others, stated that the crash occurred due to “Human Error”. The report by a Standing Committee on Defence tabled in the Lok Sabha asserted that the incident was a result of human error by the aircrew present in the chopper.
The crash had also killed Group Captain Varun Singh along with the CDS. In the report, the crash was attributed to the pilot's spatial disorientation after entering clouds caused by an unexpected change in weather conditions.
As per the report, submitted before the Lok Sabha, the Mi-17 V5, carrying CDS General Bipin Rawat and others, crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu after taking off from Sulur Air Force base about three years back on December 8. Reportedly, the aircraft was en route to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.
During the preliminary inquiry, the investigating team revealed that the crash occurred as a result of the pilot's loss of control due to a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) after entering cloud cover.
The report also highlighted that "Human Error (Aircrew)" was the most frequent cause of accidents during the Thirteenth Defence Plan period (2017-2022), accounting for 16 out of 34 recorded accidents, including this tragic incident.
In the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Defence shared the data on the number of Indian Air Force aircraft crashes that took place during the 13th Defence Plan period.
The total number of crashes stood at 34, including nine IAF aircraft accidents that took place in 2021-22 and 11 in 2018-19.
The tabulated data in the report also contained a column titled "reason" that specified the cause of the accidents in this period, against the aircraft type and date and accident.
The data for the 33rd accident listed in the report mentioned the aircraft as "Mi-17", date "08.12.2021" and the reason cited was "HE(A)" or "human error (aircrew)".
The defence ministry informed the Committee that 34 inquiries have been conducted into these accidents during the period.
"The ministry also informed that the recommendations by these Inquiry committees review the process, procedure, training, equipment, culture, operations, maintenance and administration holistically with intent to prevent recurrence of an accident," the report said.
The ministry further informed that "all remedial measures stipulated by Chief of the Air Staff remarks are binding and actioned".
"Most have been actioned while a few are under implementation," it added.
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Published 22:45 IST, December 19th 2024