Pilot’s disorientation in bad weather led to Bipin Rawat chopper crash

The December 8 Mi-17V5 crash in which India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat was killed along with 13 others took place due to spatial disorientation of the pilot in bad weather, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Friday in its first official statement on the accident.

“The accident was a result of (the chopper’s) entry into clouds due to unexpected change in weather conditions in the valley. This led to spatial disorientation of the pilot resulting in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT),” the statement said, referring to the preliminary findings of a tri-services probe.