IAF Mi-17V5 Crashed Near Coonoor (Tamil Nadu)-CDS Onboard

[Viper316]

Defence Minister Rajnathsingh reaches CDS Bipinrawat home in Delhi. So th official confirmation will be out anytime now

 

[indiatester]

Few things I would like to add, if I may -

• The helicopter is Mi-17V5, it is recently bought, has the latest equipment, electronics, and weather radar.
  
  
• Mi-17s are world-famous for their reliability. It sports very high availability and extremely low crash rates. Even without it, helicopters don't crash out of anywhere like fighter jets. Even in case of complete engine failure (it has 2), it can safely glide down to land.
  
  
• The pilots who fly VVIP missions are squadron commanders (i.e., the top most experienced pilots). The chances of mistakes are minimal.
  
  
• The area in which the crash happened is not in any sense volatile. Rumours of sabotage can be ruled out safely.

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This is beyond sad. I have some experience with aviation, seeing the crash, there is <5% chance anyone will survive honestly.
Seems like the likely cause is poor visibility due to bad weather and the pilot couldn't see the hill slope and rammed it.

Really?
I thought the terrain warning system will give enough warning.

 

[spiritb2]

Wait.. did he say there was an explosion first and then he saw the helicopter crashing into the trees or did he say it was a loud sound probably due to his proximity to the chopper?

Tamil is not my first language or second.. learnt a bit of spoken Tamil during my stay in TN so please correct if wrong.

Yes he did say heard a boom sound(maybe the rotors hitting something) at first, before crashing into a big tree nearby

 

[mokoman]

Shit happens.

similar story from 2020 , american black hawk helicopter.

Taiwan army chief dead in helicopter crash

General Shen Yi-ming was among eight killed when a Black Hawk was forced to land in poor weather.

www.bbc.com

Chief of general staff General Shen Yi-ming was killed after the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crashed in mountains near Taipei,

General Shen Yi-ming and 12 others were on the Black Hawk helicopter when it was forced to land in poor weather near the capital, Taipei.

Earlier reports said some people had been found alive, with others "trapped under fragments of the helicopter".

bit bizzare but , his position seem to be similar to Rawat's (chief of defence staff)

 

[another_armchair]

Looks like it happened near Coonoor close to the tea estates.

One can see Coimbatore city including Black Thunder if you are at Dolphin's nose near Coonoor. Yeah, the climb is steep and one can see the area is covered in cloud and fog. Dreadful weather to be flying in a chopper given the area.

Source - First image found at the bottom of the page.

முப்படைத் தளபதி பிபின் ராவத் மரணம் - நரேந்திர மோடி, அமித் ஷா உள்ளிட்ட தலைவர்கள் இரங்கல்! | Live Updates

முப்படைத் தளபதி பிபின் ராவத், அவர் மனைவி உட்பட மொத்தம் 14 ராணுவ அதிகாரிகள் பயணம் செய்த ஹெலிகாப்டர் விபத்துக்குள்ளானது. | military helicopter met with an accident in nilgiris அருண்

www.vikatan.com

 

[not so dravidian]

@Delta wing is it foggy in coonoor

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

 

[hit&run]

Dead toll to 12

I think we should be ready for worst-case scenario. The wreckage looks to be unsparing. IAF chief rushing at site seems like a ceremonial duty.

 

[mist_consecutive]

Really?
I thought the terrain warning system will give enough warning.

It might have but the pilot might not have got enough time to react. Also, Mi-17s don't have SAR terrain mapping AFAIK.

 

[Love Charger]

I think we should be ready for worst-case scenario. The wreckage looks to be unsparing. IAF chief rushing at site seems like a ceremonial duty.

Iam are prepared .

 

[not so dravidian]

@Holy Triad the person who saw first hand says that before the helicopter crashed into the tree, it was already on fire. Cud u check

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

RM left CDS's house

 

[Delta wing]

@Delta wing is it foggy in coonoor

yes,
on the time of crash, the fog was densely covered

 

[sadhgurukilledmywife]

Apologies if I am wrong, but shouldn't IAF Chief return to Delhi ASAP just in case this leads to any instability on the borders?

 

[apoorv465]

This is probably the biggest crash after 1963 poonch crash.

If weather was bad why he didn't take the road.

 

[Holy Triad]

Bhaibno clue about crash

Thanthi tv says clear sky, while polimer says foggy

Coonor is a weird area the hills overlap each other with tight spot so its susceptible to ground weather effect, the fog moves like a blanket of waves,you might be experiencing sunny day within a minute a fog pocket approach the areas n reduce the visibility to few meters, meanwhile other side of the hill experiencing nice sun shine.


If i have to make an educated guess(if there is no foul ) pilot started to lower his altitude while he was experiencing nice weather suddenly met with rolling fog blanket as i mentioned earlier n struggled to find direction n lost his way.

Found himself gwr blaring n tried to pull up with full rev(hence the witnesses huge sound comment) n failed to gain altitude.

Im not saying sabotage is outta question but i posted this scenario if it were an accident.

 

[Delta wing]

past two days the weather is not pleasant here, seriously don't how they clear permission to airborne the chopper.

 

[JBH22]

Apologies if I am wrong, but shouldn't IAF Chief return to Delhi ASAP just in case this leads to any instability on the borders?

Nope security establishment is not dependent on signle individual. Contingent plans exist to cater for any eventuality. Even if PM is gone the nation will continue to move ahead.
India is a resilient country.

 

[Love Charger]

This is probably the biggest crash after 1963 poonch crash.

If weather was bad why he didn't take the road.

Thats where heads should roll , who gave the clearance the nation wants to know

 

[another_armchair]

This is probably the biggest crash after 1963 poonch crash.

If weather was bad why he didn't take the road.

Hopefully this incident will push for greater pragmatism and less of testosterone loaded maverickism.