Varun Singh (Indian Air Force Officer): Difference between revisions

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His uncle is [[Akhilesh Pratap Singh]], a politician who represented [[Rudrapur (Assembly constituency)|Rudrapur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] for five years until 2017. He also serves as spokesman for the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />
His uncle is [[Akhilesh Pratap Singh]], a politician who represented [[Rudrapur (Assembly constituency)|Rudrapur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] for five years until 2017. He also serves as spokesman for the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />
==Death==
{{Main|2021 Indian Air Force Mi-17 crash}}
On 8 December 2021, Varun along with [[Bipin Rawat]], his wife and members of his staff were amongst 10 passengers and 4 crew members aboard an [[Indian Air Force]] [[Mil Mi-17]] helicopter flight en route from the [[Sulur Air Force Base|Sulur Airforce base]] to the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC), Wellington, where Rawat was to deliver a lecture.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Desk|first=The Hindu Net|date=8 December 2021|title=Indian Air Force helicopter crash live {{!}} Gen. Bipin Rawat, wife and 11 others dead|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/live-updates-air-force-helicopter-with-cds-bipin-rawat-others-on-board-crashes-in-coonoor-tamil-nadu/article37894521.ece|access-date=8 December 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> At around 12:10 p.m. local time, the aircraft crashed near a residential colony of private tea estate employees on the outskirts of the hamlet of Nanjappachatiram, [[Bandishola]] panchayat, in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area of [[Coonoor]] taluk, [[Nilgiris district]].<ref name="TNIE_chopper_crash">{{cite news |last1=M. |first1=Saravanan|last2=Sundar|first2=P. S. |date=8 December 2021 |title=First Chief of Defence Bipin Rawat, 12 others killed in chopper crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/dec/08/first-chief-of-defence-bipin-rawat-12-others-killed-in-chopper-crash-in-tamil-nadus-coonoor-2393293.html |work=The New Indian Express |location= |access-date=9 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="TNIE_Coonoor">{{cite news |last=M. |first=Saravanan|date=8 December 2021 |title=Coonoor helicopter mishap: 'One of the injured men asked for water', recount eyewitnesses |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/dec/08/coonoor-helicopter-mishap-one-of-the-injured-men-asked-for-water-recount-eyewitnesses-2393307.html|work=The New Indian Express |location= |access-date=9 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Sulur_tragedy">{{cite news |last=Saravanan |first=M.|date=9 December 2021 |title=Sulur chopper tragedy: 'Never seen anything this tragic', say Coonoor fire and rescue personnel  |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/dec/08/sulur-chopper-tragedy-never-seen-anything-this-tragic-say-coonoor-fire-and-rescue-personnel-2393297.html|work=The New Indian Express |location= |access-date=9 December 2021}}</ref> The crash site was 10 km from the flight's intended destination.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Madhav|first=Pramod |date=8 December 2021|title=CDS General Bipin Rawat's chopper crashes in Tamil Nadu|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/army-chopper-crash-tamil-nadu-coonoor-1885464-2021-12-08|access-date=2021-12-09|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref> He was first treated at the military hospital in Wellington and then he airlifted to the Bengaluru Command Hospital where he was put on life support system. He died on December 15, 2021 during treatment at the Command Hospital in Bengaluru.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Latest revision as of 13:40, 15 December 2021

Group Captain

Varun Singh

SC
Born1982
Kanholi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died(2021-12-15)December 15, 2021
Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Air Force
Years of service2004 to present
RankGroup Captain of IAF.png Group Captain
Service number27987
AwardsShaurya Chakra ribbon.svg Shaurya Chakra
Not to be confused with Varun Singh Bhati.

Group Captain Varun Singh SC was an Indian Air Force group captain.[1][2] He was a member of the staff of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), and was a passenger accompanying the Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, General Bipin Rawat, who was enroute to make a speech to military students and staff at the DSSC, when the Mil Mi-17V-5 they were onboard crashed.[3]

Early life[edit]

Singh was born in 1982 in Kanholi, in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh.[4] He has stated that as a child he considered himself to be a "very average" and "mediocre" student, but he " had a passion for airplanes and aviation." He served as the representative for his school in the Aeronautical Society of India Quiz twice.[5]

He first studied in Odisha before he applied for the National Defence Academy; passing the exams on his first try.[6][7]

Career[edit]

Singh joined the airforce in 2004, being commissioned into the combat (fighter) stream of the IAF as a flying officer on 19 June 2004; Abhinandan Varthaman was among his batchmates.[8] He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 19 June 2006,[9] and to squadron leader on 19 June 2010.[10] He was promoted to wing commander on 19 June 2017.[11] He achieved the rank of group captain in 2021.

Gaganyaan space program[edit]

Singh became one of the top twelve initial choices for the Gaganyaan crew module, but was unable to attend due to medical issues.[12][13] In September 2021 Singh commented that "In 2019 I was in the first list of 12 candidates for ISRO's Gaganyaan programme. Though, I did not make the final cut due to a medical requirement."[5]

Shaurya Chakra[edit]

In October 2020, when he was a wing commander, Singh managed to safely land his heavily malfunctioning LCA Tejas aircraft from 10,000 feet in the air during an emergency, managing to save the lives of several people; for his accomplishments, he was decorated with the Shaurya Chakra (SC) in 2021.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] His full citations reads as follows:[22]

WING COMMANDER VARUN SINGH (27987) FLYING (PILOT)


Wing Commander Varun Singh (27987) Flying (Pilot) is a pilot in a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Squadron.

On 12 Oct 20, he was flying a system check sortie in LCA, away from parent base, after major rectification of Flight Control System (FCS) and pressurisation system (life support environment control system).

During the sortie, the cockpit pressurisation failed at high altitude. He correctly identified the failure and initiated a descent to lower altitude for landing. While descending, the Flight Control System failed and led to total loss of control of the aircraft. This was an unprecedented catastrophic failure that had never occurred. There was a rapid loss of altitude while in usual attitude, with the aircraft pitching up and down viciously going to the extremities of G limits. Despite being in extreme physical and mental stress in an extreme life-threatening situation, he maintained exemplary composure and regained control of the aircraft, thereby exhibiting exceptional flying skill. Soon thereafter, at about 10,000 feet, the aircraft again experienced total loss of control with vicious manoeuvring and uncontrollable pitching. Under such a scenario, the pilot was at liberty to abandon aircraft. Faced with a potential hazard to his own life, he displayed extraordinary courage and skill to safely land the fighter aircraft. The pilot went beyond the call of duty and landed the aircraft taking calculated risks. This allowed an accurate analysis of the fault on the indigenously designed fighter and further institution of preventive measures against recurrence. Due to his high order of professionalism, composure and quick decision making, even at the peril to his life, he not only averted the loss of an LCA, but also safeguarded civilian property and population on ground.

For this act of exceptional gallantry, Wg Cdr Varun Singh is conferred with the Shaurya Chakra.

2021 air crash[edit]

On 8 December 2021, a helicopter carrying Singh and 13 others broke down on their way to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. All of the people, including the head of the Indian Armed Forces, Bipin Rawat, died, with the sole exception of Singh. The Indian Air force confirmed that he was being treated at a hospital in Tamil Nadu. He was reported to have serious injuries and to be on life support.[23][16][15][24][18][25] According to doctors, he was still conscious when he was taken for surgery.[26]

Singh was airlifted to a hospital in Bangalore [27](where better treatment could be provided) and survived the night. His status is reported to remain critical[28] but his health better than before.[29][30][31][32][33] Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured that "all efforts are being made to save him."[34][35] Several people, expressed their wishes for Singh to recover, including his family, Congress, Ram Nath Kovind, the US embassy to India,[36] and members of his hometown.[37][38]

Personal life[edit]

Singh was 39 years old and was married with two children.[7]

His father, KP Singh, is a retired colonel of the Army Air Defence living in Bhopal.[7] Varun Singh's brother, Tanuj, is a Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy.[34][39]

His uncle is Akhilesh Pratap Singh, a politician who represented Rudrapur, Uttar Pradesh for five years until 2017. He also serves as spokesman for the Indian National Congress.[7][37]

Death[edit]

Main article: 2021 Indian Air Force Mi-17 crash

On 8 December 2021, Varun along with Bipin Rawat, his wife and members of his staff were amongst 10 passengers and 4 crew members aboard an Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopter flight en route from the Sulur Airforce base to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, where Rawat was to deliver a lecture.[40] At around 12:10 p.m. local time, the aircraft crashed near a residential colony of private tea estate employees on the outskirts of the hamlet of Nanjappachatiram, Bandishola panchayat, in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area of Coonoor taluk, Nilgiris district.[41][42][43] The crash site was 10 km from the flight's intended destination.[44] He was first treated at the military hospital in Wellington and then he airlifted to the Bengaluru Command Hospital where he was put on life support system. He died on December 15, 2021 during treatment at the Command Hospital in Bengaluru.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Bipin Rawat No More: Group Captain Varun Singh Only Survivor In the Chopper Crash|India Today". Oakland News Now.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ "India defence boss, wife and 11 others killed in helicopter crash". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2021-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ Saravanan, M.; Sundar, P. S. (8 December 2021). "First Chief of Defence Bipin Rawat, 12 others killed in chopper crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "Who is Varun Singh Lone Survivor Of IAF Chopper Crash That Killed CDS Bipin Rawat". outlookindia. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "You may be mediocre in school, but it's not what decide your future: Survivor of chopper crash". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ "Coonoor Chopper Crash: Captain Varun Singh's Village in UP Continues to Pray For Him". CNN-News18. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "'We are hoping he will bounce back': Father of lone survivor of Coonoor chopper crash". The Indian Express. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  8. ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 30 September 2006. p. 1371.
  9. ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 28 June 2008. p. 796.
  10. ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 4 February 2012. p. 119.
  11. ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 8 February 2020. p. 527.
  12. ↑ ""It's OK To Be Mediocre": Officer Who Survived Crash Wrote To His School". NDTV. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ Dec 9, Arvind Chauhan / TNN /; 2021; Ist, 20:26. "East Uttar Pradesh village soars high on hope for its fighter's safety". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ "IAF helicopter crash: Lone survivor had close call last year, got Shaurya Chakra for gallantry". The Indian Express. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Who is Group Captain Varun Singh? Know about lone survivor of IAF chopper crash". Hindustan Times. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Shaurya Chakra awardee Group Captain Varun Singh, sole survivor of IAF chopper crash, under treatment". India Today. Retrieved 2021-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ↑ "Lone survivor of Mi17V5 helicopter crash is decorated IAF pilot who saved an LCA Tejas". Deccan Herald. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2021-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Quint, The (2021-12-08). "Shaurya Chakra Awardee Capt Varun Singh the Sole Survivor of IAF Chopper Crash". TheQuint. Retrieved 2021-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ↑ "India: Shaurya Chakra awardee survivor can throw light on IAF chopper crash". Gulf News. Retrieved 2021-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ↑ "IAF helicopter crash: Lone survivor had close call last year, got Shaurya Chakra for gallantry". The Indian Express. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  21. ↑ "President Kovind confers Shaurya Chakra on Wing Commander Varun Singh". ANI News. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ↑ "President Confers Shaurya Chakra On Wing Commander Varun Singh (27987) Flying (Pilot)". Press Information Bureau of India. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  23. ↑ Bhandari, Shashwat (2021-12-08). "IAF helicopter crash: Group Captain Varun Singh lone survivor, battling for life". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  24. ↑ "Varun Singh, sole survivor of Indian military helicopter crash". The Business Standard. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  25. ↑ "India military helicopter crash kills 13, including defence chief of staff". CBC News.
  26. ↑ "Sole survivor of IAF chopper crash has family serving in all three services of armed forces". India Today. Retrieved 2021-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ↑ "CDS chopper crash: Lone survivor Group Captain Varun Singh being shifted to Bengaluru, says his father". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  28. ↑ Service, Tribune News. "Shaurya Chakra awardee Varun Singh survives one night; next 48 hours critical". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  29. ↑ Dec 9, Shanta Thiagarajan / TNN /; 2021; Ist, 16:59. "Ooty chopper crash lone survivor airlifted to Bengaluru for treatment". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ↑ "Group Captain Varun Singh, sole survivor of crash, maintaining vitals". Hindustan Times. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ↑ Dec 9, Shanta Thiagarajan / TNN /; 2021; Ist, 16:59. "Ooty chopper crash lone survivor airlifted to Bengaluru for treatment". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ↑ "Group Captain Varun Singh, who survived chopper crash, to be shifted to Bengaluru". The News Minute. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  33. ↑ "Shaurya Chakra awardee Varun Singh survives one night; next 48 hours critical". The Tribune (Chandigarh).
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Crash Survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, Airlifted To Bengaluru". NDTV. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ↑ Quint, The (2021-12-08). "Varun Singh on Life Support, All Efforts Being Made: Rajnath Singh in Parliament". TheQuint. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  36. ↑ "CDS Rawat Death: US, Israel, Pak and Other Countries Express Condolences". The Wire. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Prayers galore amid pall of gloom at Group Captain Varun Singh's village in UP". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ↑ "President Kovind prays for speedy recovery of chopper crash's lone survivor IAF Group Captain Varun Singh". ANI News. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ↑ "Chopper crash: Lone survivor group captain Varun Singh being shifted to Bengaluru hospital". Hindustan Times. 2021-12-09. Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. ↑ Desk, The Hindu Net (8 December 2021). "Indian Air Force helicopter crash live | Gen. Bipin Rawat, wife and 11 others dead". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  41. ↑ M., Saravanan; Sundar, P. S. (8 December 2021). "First Chief of Defence Bipin Rawat, 12 others killed in chopper crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  42. ↑ M., Saravanan (8 December 2021). "Coonoor helicopter mishap: 'One of the injured men asked for water', recount eyewitnesses". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  43. ↑ Saravanan, M. (9 December 2021). "Sulur chopper tragedy: 'Never seen anything this tragic', say Coonoor fire and rescue personnel". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  44. ↑ Madhav, Pramod (8 December 2021). "CDS General Bipin Rawat's chopper crashes in Tamil Nadu". India Today. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
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