The Standing Committee on Defence, in its report presented on Thursday, revealed that the tragic crash of the Mi-17 V5 helicopter, which claimed the lives of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 11 others, was caused by “human error.” The incident occurred on December 8, 2021, near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, and resulted in the deaths of General Rawat, his wife, and several senior military officials.
This report, coming nearly three years after the tragic crash, also sheds light on the broader context of military aviation safety, noting that 34 accidents occurred in the Indian Air Force (IAF) between 2017 and 2022, during the ‘13th Defence Period Plan.’ Out of these, nine were attributed to “human error (aircrew),” with the Mi-17 crash on December 8, 2021, being one of them.
The Ministry also noted that following the inquiry, a series of recommendations were made to address issues in areas like procedure, training, equipment, maintenance, culture, and operations. These recommendations aim to prevent such accidents from recurring in the future. The Ministry confirmed that most of the remedial measures stipulated by the Chief of the Air Staff have already been implemented, with a few still in the process of being put into action.
On the fateful day of December 8, 2021, General Rawat, along with his wife and other senior officials, was onboard the Mi-17, traveling from the Sulur Air Force Base to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington. Gen Rawat was scheduled to deliver a lecture at the DSSC. The helicopter crashed around 12:10 p.m. local time near a residential colony of tea estate workers, just outside the small hamlet of Nanjappachatiram in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district.
The report’s release brings closure to some questions surrounding the crash, while emphasizing the importance of ongoing safety measures in military aviation.
