Coonoor (TN): Defence officials on Thursday retrieved the Flight Data Recorder, more popularly known as ‘Black Box’, of the ill-fated Indian Air Force helicopter that crashed near here on Wednesday, killing Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat and 12 others.
Official sources said the black box was retrieved in the wake of authorities expanding the search area from 300 metres to one km from the accident spot.
Two boxes including the flight data recorder were recovered from the site, official sources said, adding, they are likely to be taken to Delhi or Bengaluru to ascertain the cause of the crash.
The black box would provide crucial data on the chain of events leading to the tragedy on the hills on Wednesday when the 63-year old Rawat, the country’s first CDS, his wife and 11 others were killed after the Mi-17VH helicopter they were travelling in crashed and went up in flames, leaving only one survivor.
Rawat was on his way to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course when the fatal mishap happened in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area.
IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari visited the site of the helicopter crash on Thursday and along with senior officials, inspected the area, official sources said.
Meanwhile, a video showing a helicopter disappearing from the air near a hilly area is doing the rounds in the social media, linking it to Wednesday’s crash. However, there was no confirmation from the IAF about the viral video, which was said to be taken by a tourist.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that a tri-services inquiry led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh has started investigation into the helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and 12 others.
Singh said in a statement in the Lok Sabha that all efforts were being made to save IAF Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, who was on life support at the military hospital in Wellington.
A tri-services inquiry headed by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh has been ordered by the Indian Air Force. A team of investigators had reached Wellington yesterday (Wednesday) itself and started their work, Singh said.
Gen Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, his wife Madhulika and 11 other armed forces personnel died when the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed.
The last rites of the Chief of Defence Staff will be performed with full military honours, Singh said.
He said the last rites of the other military personnel who died in the crash will also be conducted with appropriate military honours.
Lok Sabha paid tributes to the departed souls by observing a moment of silence.
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