‘Human error’ in Gen Bipin Rawat’s helicopter crash on December 8: Parliamentary committee report

Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat. file. | Photo credit: PTI

On December 8, 2021, the country’s first Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, died in a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash, and a parliamentary panel report attributed the crash that day to “human error”.

General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and several other armed forces personnel were killed when the military helicopter they were traveling in crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

In a report submitted to the Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Defense has published the statistics of aircraft accidents of the Indian Air Force during the 13th Defense Plan period.

The total number of accidents was 34, including nine IAF aircraft accidents in 2021-22 and 11 in 2018-19.

The tabulated data in the report also included a column titled “Cause” that specified the type and date of aircraft and the cause of accidents against the accident during the period.

The 33rd accident data listed in the report lists the aircraft as “Mi-17”, the date “08.12.2021” and the cause “HE(A)” or “human error (aircrew)”.

The Ministry of Defense has informed the committee that 34 accidents have been investigated during this period.

The ministry also informed that these inquiry committees review the recommendations on processes, procedures, training, equipment, culture, operations, maintenance and administration to prevent recurrence of accidents.

The ministry further informed that “all remedial measures prescribed by Air Chief’s comments are binding and actionable”.

“Many have been prosecuted while some are under implementation,” it added.

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