CDS Bipin Rawat dies in chopper crash: Here’s a look at accident history of IAF’s Mi-17

The death of CDS General Bipin Rawat and others in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday shines the spotlight on the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, which has a history of accidents in India.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other persons who were on board IAF’s Mi-17V5 chopper died after it crashed near Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday. The Indian Air Force (IAF), in a tweet, confirmed the death of CDS Rawat.

The death of CDS Bipin Rawat and others on Wednesday shines the spotlight on the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, which have a history of accidents in India.