A tri-service Court of Inquiry, headed by the Indian Air Force’s Air Officer Training Command Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, has submitted its preliminary findings into the Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash that killed the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, and 12 others on December 8.
- The Court of Inquiry has ruled out mechanical failure, sabotage or negligence as a cause of the accident.
- The accident was a result of 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).
- According to IATA, Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) refers to accidents in which there was an in-flight collision with terrain, water, or obstacle, without indication of loss of control. The critical distinction in these types of accidents is the fact that the aircraft is under the control of the flight crew.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) outlines following features of CFIT:
- Most often, the pilot or crew is unaware of the looming disaster until it is too late. CFIT most commonly occurs in the approach or landing phase of flight.
- Accidents where the aircraft is out of control at the point of impact are not known as CFIT. Rather, they are considered uncontrolled flight into terrain.
- Incidents resulting from deliberate acts, such as terrorism or suicide by the pilot, are also not considered to be CFIT.
- One major factor of CFIT is the loss of situational awareness — failing to know at all times what the aircraft’s position is, how that position relates to the altitude of the surface immediately below and ahead, and how both relate to the course being flown.
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