|HT|
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh will on Wednesday receive a briefing from the Indian Air Force (IAF) regarding reasons behind the Mi-17V5 chopper crash on December 8, in which the late Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, his wife and 12 other military personnel were travelling. The tri-services inquiry team headed by an Indian Air Force officer will make a detailed presentation to Rajnath Singh.
The team probing the chopper crash comprised a senior Indian Navy chopper pilot and an Army officer, people familiar with the matter said.
The tri-services inquiry team has also made some recommendations for revising the standard operating procedures while operating choppers carrying senior officials of the defence forces. Among the many recommendations, it has been suggested that the crew should be a mix of master green and other category pilots. The 'Master green' category is given to the best of pilots in the transport aircraft and helicopter fleets of the three forces as they are the ones who can land or take off in low visibility as well.
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