Black box recovered from General Rawat's crashed chopper; probe on
What's the story
A search team of the Indian Air Force Thursday recovered the black box of the chopper that crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu the day before. India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others were killed in the crash. The Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder of the ill-fated Mi-17 V5 chopper have reportedly been recovered from the crash site.
Context
Why does it matter?
The black box is considered to be an important tool that can provide crucial data on the chain of events that led to Wednesday's tragic crash. Initial reports suggest that poor visibility might have caused the chopper to crash into theNilgiri hills. A video capturing the chopper's last moments showed it traversing through thick mist. The IAF has already ordered a probe.
Details
Black box to be taken to Delhi/Bengaluru
The black box was reportedly recovered by a 25 special team of IAF officers led by Wing Commander R Bhardwaj. The black box was reportedly retrieved after the search area was expanded from 300 meters to one km from the crash site. The recovered equipment is likely to be taken to Delhi or Bengaluru to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Probe
IAF orders tri-service inquiry
Meanwhile, the IAF has ordered a tri-service inquiry into the tragic accident. Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, Air Marshal Manvendra Singh will head the inquiry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Lok Sabha. "The inquiry team reached Wellington yesterday itself and started the investigation," Singh said Thursday. Air Marshal Manvendra Singh is a helicopter pilot himself, officials said.
Survivor
Lone survivor critical; under treatment
The lone survivor in the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, is being treated by a six-member special medical team from Coimbatore at the Wellington Army hospital. Singh—a Shaurya Chakra awardee—has reportedly suffered 60% burns. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has assured the Army all possible support in the medical treatment of Group Captain Singh.
Definition
What is a black box?
A black box is a device installed in an aircraft to help investigators in the case of an unfortunate incident. Similar to a hard disk, it is designed in a way that it can survive the harshest crashes intact. It records all fight data and conversations in the cockpit. It also holds critical information like automatic computer announcements, radio traffic, discussions with crew, etc.