CDS Bipin Rawat Chopper Crash: Parliamentary Report Reveals Human Error as Cause of 2021 Helicopter Accident

The helicopter crash that claimed the life of India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, along with his wife and several army officers, occurred due to human error, a report revealed three years later. The findings, which were tabled in Parliament, confirmed that the accident was a result of a mistake made during the operation.

On December 8, 2021, an Mi-17 V5 military helicopter crashed near Kunnu in Tamil Nadu. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has since released data on Indian Air Force aircraft accidents during the 13th Defence Plan period, reporting a total of 34 such incidents.

The accidents, including the crash of General Bipin Rawat's helicopter, have been attributed to human error. Rawat's helicopter, listed as the 33rd casualty in the report, was identified as an Mi-17, with the crash date matching that of the incident involving Rawat. The report further stated that the cause of the crash was human error by the air crew. Additionally, it was mentioned that investigations into all the accidents had been concluded.

The Indian Air Force Mi-17 V5 helicopter, carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 12 other armed forces personnel, was en route from Sulur Air Force Base in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, to the Defence Services Personnel College in Wellington when it crashed into the mountains shortly after takeoff. Shaurya Chakra awardee Group Captain Varun Singh, the only survivor of the crash, succumbed to his injuries a week later.