Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other staff died after the Mi17V5 they were flying on crashed minutes before reaching the destination in Wellington where Gen Rawat was scheduled to give a lecture. Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan flying the chopper. The exact reason for the crash is not yet known though many reports have ruled out a technical glitch and blamed bad weather for the crash. The IAF has constituted a probe and no official word is out on what led to the fatal crash.
Here is all you need to know about Mi17V5 chopper
1. Mi17V5 is an advanced transport helicopter which is with the Indian Air Force since 2012.
2. Russian Helicopters’ subsidiary Kazan manufacture Mi17V5. These choppers are equipped with the latest general of night vision devised. They also have weather radar.
