How did the “Very Safe” Mi-17 Helicopter Crash? Bad Weather or Faulty Chopper?

An Indian Air Force Mi-17V-5 helicopter with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 13 others on board crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday.

The crash has perplexed the experts, who said the flight from Sulur to Wellington did not involve complications.

The Indian Air Force has already ordered an inquiry into the crash.

General Bipin Rawat, 63, took charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff in January 2019. The position was set up with the aim of integrating the three services – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

The Mi-17V-5 helicopters are extremely reliable and is also used to ferry VIPs, including the President and the Prime Minister. The helicopters were purchased and inducted by the Indian Air Force between 2013 and 2018.

So what went wrong as one of the most reliable aircrafts crashed? Bad weather? Technical fault?

Mi-17 Helicopter.

The Mi-17V-5 helicopter is primaruly used for tactical air drops, destroying targets on the ground and carring the wounded. The helicopter is capable of operating in any geographical and climatic conditions and is  used regularly for high-altitude operations in India.

The Mi-17V-5 is the latest twin-engine iteration of the Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopter.

The helicopter has a maximum takeoff weight of 13,000kg. It can transport either 36 armed soldiers internally or 4,500kg of load on a sling.

The helicopter is also equipped with modern avionics — a heavily armoured cockpit and a self-defense system against heat-seeking missiles. It can carry arms like unguided rockets, cannons, and small arms, according to the website of Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms supplier.

The Mi-17V-5 helicopter has a maximum speed of 250km/h, and a standard range of 580km. It can be extended to 1,065 km when fitted with two auxiliary fuel tanks. It can fly at a maximum altitude of 6,000 m.

“Its armament system includes unguided rockets (up to 80 S-8 80mm unguided aerial rockets), cannons (suspended pods with 23mm cannons and 250 rounds each) and small arms,” the website says.

Mi 17 Crashing History.

In the last nine years, seven Russian-made IAF Mi-series helicopters have crashed in India.

According to the Ministry of Defence statements analysed by CNN-News18, at least 30 people have died in these crashes since 2012.

Here are the Mi-17 IAF helicopter accidents:

February 27, 2019: A Mi-17V5 helicopter of Indian Air Force got airborne from Srinagar airfield for a routine mission. The helicopter crashed within 10 minutes near Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir. All six air warriors onboard suffered fatal injuries.

April 3, 2018: An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, which was undertaking a state government task from Guptkashi to Kedarnath, crashed near Kedarnath. The accident occurred while the helicopter was landing near the helipad. All six crew members who were onboard were safe.

October 6, 2017: Seven IAF personnel were killed when a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crashed in a high-altitude area near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh while it was on a maintenance sortie. The post was not connected by any road.

June 25, 2013: An IAF Mi-17 V5 helicopter on a rescue mission from Gauchar to Guptkashi and on return from Kedarnath it crashed in the north of Gaurikund. Eight persons onboard, including five crew members, sustained fatal injuries.

August 30, 2012: Two Mi-17 IAF helicopters collided and crashed over Sarmat village in Gujarat. The helicopters had taken off from Jamnagar airbase and were on a routine flying training mission. There were nine personnel onboard and all succumbed to injuries, the defence ministry had stated.

November 19, 2010: An Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, killing all 12 people onboard. The helicopter had 11 Air Force personnel, including the crew, and one Army officer on board. It had taken off from Tawang for Guwahati, and crashed about five minutes later at a place called Bomdir.

Reasons For Crash

The Mi-17V5 is considered one of the “safest” and “most modern” military transport helicopters, a retired IAF officer said. “One must wait for the detailed investigation, but the past record of the helicopter model shows it is impeccable and 100% reliable.”

“To my mind, it must have been a freak accident because with a helicopter, even if both the engines fail, it is possible to land in a paddy field somewhere given the right conditions,” the retired officer said.

Bad weather:

Initial reports suggest that bad weather may have led to the crash of the IAF’s Mi-17V5 chopper. Low visibility owing to foggy conditions may have caused the crash, reported news agency PTI.

Power lines

While the chopper carrying CDS Gen Bipin Rawat crashed in an area away from human habitation, there is speculation that it might have been entangled in power lines.

Mechanical failure

Former Mi-17H helicopter pilot Amitabh Ranjan told India Today, “The helicopters are not new. The pilots are best trained and the best professionals we can expect to fly such dignitaries. These are very good and reliable helicopters and are being used for the airlift of VVIPs also.”

“To say that either the helicopter or the crew is at fault is conjecture at this point. There would be something technical for which a board of inquiry is organised and submits its findings,” Ranjan added.

Amitabh Ranjan also said that the possibility of a minor technical defect cannot be ruled out.

Height of descent

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has initiated an inquiry that will likely determine the height at which the chopper began its descent before crashing in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area in the hilly Nilgiris district