New Update
New Delhi: There was no technical snag or sabotage, but bad weather that lead to a phenomenon called Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) is said to be the prime reason for the crash of the IAF helicopter near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, that killed CDS General Bipin Rawat and 13 others, sources said on Wednesday.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, who headed the tri-service investigation into the IAF helicopter crash apprised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the findings of the probe on Wednesday.
As per information, the investigators have ruled out any possibility of technical snag or sabotage in the crash of the Russian-origin twin-engine Mi-17V5 helicopter that was flying from Sulur airbase to Wellington on December 8.
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According to experts, the CFIT refers to a phenomenon when an aircraft under control is piloted into the ground, water or other terrains largely due to bad weather or pilot error. The CFIT generally takes place in bad weather conditions or when a flight is landing.
There is no official comment on the probe report either by the Indian Air Force or by the Union Defence Ministry so far.
The chopper had crashed around eight minutes before its scheduled landing at Wellington. Gen Rawat’s wife Madhulika, his defence advisor Brigadier LS Lidder, staff officer to the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Col Harjinder Singh and decorated pilot Group Captain Varun Singh were among 13 others killed in the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
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-PTC News with agency inputs-