CDS Bipin Rawat Chopper Crash: 'Avoid uninformed speculation', Air Force tells conspiracy theorists

The Indian Air Force on Friday urged all to avoid "uninformed speculation" related to the chopper crash that killed CDS Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other personnel on Wednesday.

The IAF tweeted that an enquiry into the crash will be "completed expeditiously" and all facts will be brought out.

"IAF has constituted a tri-service Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the tragic helicopter accident on 08 Dec 21. The inquiry would be completed expeditiously & facts brought out. Till then, to respect the dignity of the deceased, uninformed speculation may be avoided," the Air Force tweeted.

The Air Force appeal came amid conspiracy theories being floated from certain quarters over the crash.

A tri-services enquiry has been instituted to investigate the cause of the crash.

The black box, comprising the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), of the ill-fated Mi-17V5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force was recovered from the crash site on Thursday.

While the CVR will provide details about the communication between the pilots and the air traffic control, the FDR will provide information like altitude, speed and other technical data of the chopper.

The Chief of Defence Staff had left the Palam airbase in an IAF Embraer aircraft at 8:47 am and landed at Sulur airbase at 11:34 am. He took off from Sulur in a Mi-17V5 chopper at around 1148 am for Wellington, official sources said.

The chopper crashed at around 12:22 pm, they said, adding it was to land at Wellington at around 12:15 pm.

"All angles including possible human error will be investigated," a senior military offcial said.