Lone survivor had close call last year, got Shaurya Chakra for gallantry

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the helicopter crash Wednesday, is in critical condition at the Military Hospital in Wellington.

A year ago, he had a close call when a Light Combat Aircraft that he was flying developed system failure, resulting in total loss of control. Going “beyond the call of duty”, he managed to land the aircraft and for this “act of exceptional gallantry”, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra on Independence Day this year.

In one of his Twitter posts, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: “Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital, Wellington.”

The IAF officer, who is Directing Staff at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington where CDS Bipin Rawat was headed for a lecture, was based at the same Sulur air base as a Wing Commander. On October 12, 2020 “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)”.

According to his Shaurya Chakra citation, the cockpit pressurisation failed at high altitude. He “correctly identified the failure and initiated a descent to lower altitude for landing”. But while descending, the Flight Control System “failed and led to total loss of control of the aircraft”.