Aircraft crashes happen for multiple reasons – pilot error, ATC error, manufacturing/mechanical failure, bad weather and sabotage. Of these, pilot error (or human error) is the single biggest cause accounting for 80% of air crashes. Human error can happen in the air by pilots, by the ATC and also by the maintenance personnel. On December 8, the most tragic military chopper crash happened at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu killing 12 Jawans and the wife of CDS Bipin Rawat. Group Captain Varun Singh is the sole survivor and is currently critical after being shifted to a Bangalore hospital.
CDS Bipin Rawat was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff and is reported to have initiated significant advances in the strategies of defence and offence by an integrated approach by all three arms of our Defence. In recent times, many responses to terror attacks by Pakistan and the handling of Kashmir post-370 are credited to him. He is the highest Defence Officer killed in an accident. We are yet to learn much about this incident and probably never will. India has a poor record of air crash investigations and public reporting. Gen Rawat’s wife Madhulika was also killed in the crash. Their two daughters suffered a deadly blow, losing both parents at the same time. The other Jawans who lost their lives, some in their prime youth are listed below:
India is a country with the greatest number of internal enemies, traitors and hate-mongers. These treacherous groups come from Commies, Kashmiri Separatists, politics, foreign-driven NGOs, some Sikhs (particularly Khalistanis), Muslim groups sympathizing with Pakistan and even ex-Servicemen. Their contempt for our Army and its officers is a chronic disease that has been left unattended. There are many who rejoiced over the death of Gen Rawat and others. Some were openly rejoicing and some did so with veiled references. This ex-Serviceman is a sample of the worst lot of the treacherous lot in India:
Over the last 2 years, the country has been besieged with riots, protests, agitations, blockades for different reasons – from 370 to CAA to farm laws. PM Narendra Modi has failed miserably in tackling these rioters. The farm laws were finally withdrawn along with all criminal cases against the protesters. Whatever good Modi and his govt started out doing in the first term has been destroyed by inaction, incompetence and a sense of false glory.
Modi likes to holiday with the Army. Like Raja Babu, he likes to dress up in Army fatigues, have meals with the Jawans and ride Tanks – all for photo ops and polishing his own image with the popularity of Jawans in India. However, Modi has failed miserably in attending to the frequent air crashes of military aircraft. Some of these crashes have caused deaths. These are the 7 most deadly crashes of military aircraft since 2015 (apart from an airshow accident) leading up to the one on December 8 that killed Gen Rawat:
There have been dozens of crashes through the last few decades. In recent times, India has lost more Jawans in non-combat flights than in a battle. Not in one single case has an investigation report been made public along with action on remedial measures. I am unaware of any report or action plan being discussed in the Parliament either. Typically, whenever a crash happens, whether civilian or military, an inquiry is set up (often headed by some judge) and then nobody hears of it again. The GOI moves on merrily till another crash happens. In the case of the latest crash the aircraft involved is a Russian Mi-17V5 helicopter that is supposed to be a sturdy machine capable of withstanding adversities. It has to be even more shocking that the CDS of the country was on such a flight without an accompanying aircraft. The investigation is being conducted by an Air Marshall and the TN police have also registered an FIR.
Modern aircrafts are marvels of engineering and can withstand a lot of troubles. We have known a passenger plan to land on the Hudson river in January 2009. The chopper flying Gen Rawat was not very old either. As we grow in military might, more aircraft, more airports and civilian flights, India does not have an equivalent of the US NTSB (National Transport Safety Board). The NTSB investigates every civilian air crash in the US and often military air crash with the participation of their military. This body is made of specialist aviation and transport engineer-investigators with years of training and experience. Air crash investigation is a specialized job and cannot be done by ad-hoc inquiry committees anymore. This is the biggest realization that must dawn on Modi and his govt.
Following many natural calamities and mass deaths, India formed the NDRF in 2006. Consequently, the trained and disciplined personnel of the NDRF have attended to many disasters, with timely warnings and the deaths due to natural calamities have reduced. As India grows in aviation an NTSB type organisation must be immediately created for aviation alone. The aviation investigators of the US NTSB know the nuts and bolts of aviation and aircraft disasters. The specialisation becomes all the more important when explosions and fires damage a lot of evidence and investigators have to depend on simulated sequences based on forensic and other evidences. Calling for a CCS meet after such a national disaster as the one involving Gen Rawat & co is necessary. However, posing for Cameraman Raju just to show case his forlorn face is the lipstick Modi indulges in. Why is there a need for this stupid pic to be taken and published in media?
The problem India faces now is having a PM who is too much into style rather than substance. All cases of disasters, riots and agitations are used by him to gain sympathy and votes. The fanatic supporters of Modi are fed a WA-diet of idiotic glorification of his persona each time a disaster happens. Of course, the feeder is none other than Modi himself along with the BJP IT Cell. If there’s a flood, Modi still goes on aerial surveys in this day and age with Cameraman Raju in tow. The BJP and its goons paint all agitators as anti-national, anti-Modi, anti-India not to handle them but to create sympathy for Modi in elections. How Modi sits, how Modi stares, how Modi looks sad, how Modi looks angry, his laser gaze – all such stupid messages are circulated even in a tragedy to glorify him and make him a bigger martyr than the Jawans that we lost. This is the singular biggest tragedy of India under Modi.
This latest air crash and the loss of the highest Defence Officer and others is a National Tragedy and not an incident to glorify Modi’s stare into emptiness. The citizens near the Wellington base in TN lined up spontaneously to bid a tearful farewell to the Jawans. Indians have always held their Jawans in high esteem and awe. This is how we should remember the incident while calling upon the GOI for remedial actions:
Such is the shock over this recent crash that it brought condolences from leaders and diplomats across the world. Conspiracy theories will naturally be spun and sabotage will naturally be suspected. The GOI must investigate all personnel involved in the maintenance of this chopper at the airbase in TN and conclusively exonerate or incriminate anyone involved in its maintenance. There has to be a special focus on fanatics of certain religions in the armed forces too. If there is sabotage, it must be brought to public light. We have too many traitors in the civilian domain, we simply cannot afford even one traitor in the armed forces. Such a comprehensive investigation and establishment of a specialized aviation investigation board is the only way forward.
In Remembrance of the martyrs.
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A wonderful observation and analysis. Homages to the martyrs.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the Rudra helicopter of Army Aviation which crashed in Ranjit Sagar dam near Pathankot in August this year.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a scandal in itself is why we still have MiG21s still in service. It is no good calling them Bisons or whatever. They are still the ancient 1960s era MiG21s.