CDS Bipin Rawat chopper crash: IAF in touch with Russian designers & manufacturers of Mi-17V5

The Indian Air Force is in touch with the Russian designers and manufacturers of the Mi-17V-5 regarding the helicopter crash leading to the death of General Bipin Rawat, India’s chief of defence staff, near Coonoor, close to the Defence Services Staff College. 

Russian inputs into the cause of the crash have been sought. The report on the crash by the committee headed by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh will be finalised after the final inputs from the Russians arrive. The Mi17V-5 is designed by Mil Moscow and manufactured by Kazan Helicopters. 

Preliminary investigations have focussed on several issues

• There was certainly heavy clouds at that time
• There is still no confirmation about there was a technical failure just before that. Was there an “instrument freeze” before the crash? This would have disoriented the pilot. 
• That there was no major structural failure is clear. 
• Whether there was an instrument failure just before the crash is hard to make out from the black box details. 

The final report is expected next month. Apart from General Rawat and his wife, 12 officers and men of the Indian armed forces died in the crash.