It was December 8, 2021, when India lost its first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat in a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash.

A parliamentary panel’s recent report suggested that the accident which occurred was a “human error”.

The preliminary findings said that the accident was a result of entry into clouds due to an unexpected change in weather conditions in the valley.

This led to spatial disorientation of the pilot resulting in a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), the team found after analysing the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder besides questioning all available witnesses to determine the most probable cause of the accident.

General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and other armed forces personnel including 11 other armed forces personnel lost their lives when the military helicopter crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.

The fateful day

December 8, 2021, turned out to be a tragic day for the Indian Army and the nation as an Indian Air Force Mi-17 V5 helicopter took off from Sulur Air Force Base in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, heading towards the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.

Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter collided with a hillside. The tragic crash resulted in the deaths of General Rawat, his wife, and 11 others.

Those who lost their lives include CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brigadier Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitendra Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar, Lance Naik B Sai Teja, Havildar Satpal, Wing Commander P S Chauhan, Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) Das, and JWO Pradeep.

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