CDS chopper crash: Probe report in January, unintentional error likely cause

Sunday, 2 January 2022Newsdesk

The probe into last month’s helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu that killed the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and 13 others is close to being complete and the final report is expected to be submitted to the Air Force Chief in January, Defence sources told The Indian Express.

New Delhi, 02 January 2022

As per news report of The Indian Express, There is no official word from the Air Force on the probe’s findings so far. Sources suggested that the likely cause is not human or technical error but what is known as Controlled Flight into Terrain (CIFT), when the pilot unintentionally hits a surface. CIFT means the helicopter was airworthy and the pilot was not at fault, sources said. In this case, reduced visibility because of bad weather in the Coonoor area, where the crash occurred, could be one of the causes, they said. CIFT is one of the main causes of aircraft crashes globally. Air Force officials said the final report will shed light on the details of the accident.

Source - The Indian Express