The Tri Services Court of Inquiry has ruled out mechanical failure, sabotage or negligence as a cause of the Mi-17 V5 crash that killed Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and other military personnel on December 8, 2021, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.
According to the preliminary findings of the Tri-Services Court of Inquiry into the Mi-17 V5 accident, “The accident was a result of entry into clouds due to unexpected change in weather conditions in the valley. This led to spatial disorientation of the pilot resulting in Controlled Flight into Terrain”.
Based on its findings, the Court of Inquiry has made certain recommendations which are being reviewed, the ministry said in a PIB release.
The inquiry team analysed the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder besides questioning all available witnesses to determine the most probable cause of the accident, the ministry added.
The IAF chopper crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu around 12.20 pm on December 8, 2021. Thirteen people, including Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat, onboard the chopper died in the crash. The crash took place soon after it toof off from the army base in Sulur near Coimbatore. The chopper was heading for Defence Staff Services College in Wellington, Udhagamandalam (Ooty).
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington in Nilgiri Hills to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course, the Indian Air Force said.
