Black box of ill-fated IAF chopper retrieved, will provide data on events that led to tragedy

Gen Bipin Rawat, the country's first CDS, his wife and 11 others were killed when the Mi-17VH helicopter they were travelling in crashed, leaving only one survivor.

Wreckage of the crashed IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter on 8 December 2021 | ANI photo

Coonoor: Defence officials on Thursday retrieved the Flight Recorder, more popularly known as ‘Black Box’, of the ill-fated Indian Air Force helicopter that crashed near here on Wednesday. Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat and 12 others were killed in the incident.

Official sources said the black box was retrieved in the wake of authorities expanding the search area from 300 metres to one km from the accident spot.

The black box would provide crucial data on the chain of events leading to the tragedy on the hills on Wednesday when the 63-year old Rawat, the country’s first CDS, his wife and 11 others were killed when the Mi-17VH helicopter they were travelling in crashed and went up in flames, leaving only one survivor.

Rawat was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course when the fatal mishap happened in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area.