The Indian Air Force (IAF) officials on Thursday recovered critical equipment of the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

According to the sources, the Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder of the chopper have been recovered from the site. The military helicopter crash incident claimed the lives of 13 people including Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.

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The investigation into the military helicopter crash will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh.

“Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered a tri-service inquiry into the military chopper crash. The investigation will be led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh. The inquiry team reached Wellington yesterday itself and started the investigation,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha today.

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of those killed in the military chopper crash on Wednesday were brought to Madras Regimental Centre today from Military Hospital, Wellington in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

General Rawat was travelling from Sulur to Wellington when his helicopter crashed near Coonoor.

General Rawat was appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff on December 31, 2019. He previously served as Chief of the Army Staff from January 2017 to December 2019. He was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1978.