New Delhi: The report of the parliamentary committee formed to probe the death of General Bipin Rawat, the country’s first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), has been released. In its report, the committee blamed human error for the MI-17 V5 helicopter crash that occurred on December 8, 2021. General Rawat, his wife Mahulika Rawat and several other armed forces personnel were killed when the plane crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The accident was widely reported by the media.
Contents of the parliamentary group report
Three years ago, General Rawat’s helicopter crashed into a hillside near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The Standing Committee on Defense released its findings in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, saying the cause of the incident was “human error (crew)”. An early investigation by the Indian Air Force ruled out negligence, mechanical failure or sabotage.
The report prepared by the committee also details the crashes of Indian Air Force aircraft during the 13th Defense Plan. 34 accidents were recorded, including 9 accidents in 2021-22 and 11 accidents in 2018-19. Under a column titled “Cause,” human error is listed as the cause of these incidents.
The Ministry of Defense informed the committee that all 34 incidents had been investigated. Recommendations from these investigations are intended to address issues with processes, procedures, training, equipment and operations to prevent future incidents.
helicopter crash 2021
The lone survivor of the Mi-17V5 crash and Shaurya Chakra awardee Group Captain Varun Singh initially survived but succumbed to his injuries during treatment a week later. He was transferred from Wellington to a military hospital in Bangalore with severe burns.