The death of Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and his wife among 13 others onboard a Mi-17 V5 helicopter on Wednesday throws light on the history of Mi-series chopper accidents in India.
In the last nine years, seven Russian-made IAF Mi-series helicopters have crashed in India.
The Indian Air Force had said in the afternoon that an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. The IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter was airborne from Sulur for Wellington.
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.
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