The Standing Committee on Defense in its latest report revealed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) recorded 34 aircraft accidents during the 13th Defense Plan period (2017-2022). The report blames most of these accidents on human error and technical failure, highlighting the ongoing challenges in aviation safety.
Annual Report of Accidents
2017–18: 8 accidents
2018–19: 11 accidents
2019–20: 3 accidents
2020–21: 3 accidents
2021–22: 9 accidents
A surge in accidents during 2018–19 and again in 2021–22 has raised concerns, with several high-profile incidents, including the Mi-17V5 crash that killed Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat in December 2021. Death had occurred.
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Primary causes identified
The report categorized the reasons behind the 34 accidents as follows:
Human error (aircrew): 19 incidents
Technical glitches: 9 incidents
Other causes: including bird strikes and foreign object damage
For example, the Mi-17 helicopter crash that took the lives of General Rawat and 12 others.
accident-prone aircraft
The MiG-21, often criticized for its outdated design, caused a large number of accidents during this period, ranging from technical faults to human error. Other aircraft involved included Mi-17, Jaguar, Su-30 and Kiran trainer jets.
Safety measures and declining trends
The Ministry of Defense informed the Committee about the measures taken to mitigate the risks.
Comprehensive review of operational protocols, training and maintenance practices.
Implementation of recommendations from investigation reports.
The report found a steady decline in the accident rate per 10,000 flight hours, from 0.93 (2000–2005) to 0.27 (2017–2022). The current rate for 2020-2024 is 0.20, reflecting better safety protocols.
