General Bipin Rawat, who was the first Chief of Defence Staff of India, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021. The incident involved a Mi-17 V5 helicopter that went down near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The crash also claimed the lives of his wife, Madhulika Rawat, along with 11 other armed forces personnel who were on board the helicopter.
A parliamentary panel recently reported that the cause of the accident was “human error.” The Standing Committee on Defence presented this finding in a report to Parliament, the report provided information on the number of aircraft crashes involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the 13th Defence Plan period.
The Mi-17 V5 helicopter, which was carrying General Bipin Rawat and others, took off from Sulur Air Force Base and was en route to Wellington when it tragically crashed with nine occurring in the financial year 2021-22.
The tragic incident received extensive media coverage, highlighting the loss of lives and the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The report revealed that there were a total of 34 aircraft crashes, which included nine accidents involving Indian Air Force (IAF) planes in the 2021-22 period and 11 accidents in 2018-19. The report also included a section that listed the reasons for each crash, detailing the type of aircraft and the date of the incident.
For the 33rd accident noted in the report, it identified the aircraft as a “Mi-17,” with the date recorded as “08.12.2021.” The reason given for this crash was “HE(A),” which stands for “human error (aircrew).”
The Ministry of Defence informed the Committee that investigations had been conducted into all 34 crashes during this timeframe. The report indicated that “the recommendations from these inquiry committees thoroughly examine processes, procedures, training, equipment, operational culture, maintenance, and administration to help prevent accidents in the future.”
Furthermore, the ministry indicated that “all corrective actions suggested by the Chief of the Air Staff are mandatory and have been implemented.” It added that most recommendations have been acted upon, while a few are still in progress.
