The wreckage of the AN-32 that crashed near Jorhat. (Photo: X)
New Delhi/Jorhat: Five Indian Air Force personnel died on Saturday morning when an An-32 twin-engine transport aircraft crashed near Jorhat in Assamduring what the force described as a routine training sortie. The aircraft went down at around 10am, triggering immediate rescue and crash-site operations.
The Air Force confirmed there were no survivors. Those killed were Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveer Vayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveer Vayu Danish Alam.
The air force posted on X that it "deeply regrets the loss of lives" and described the deaths as the "supreme sacrifice in the line of duty". It said it stands "firmly with the bereaved families" and assured them of all possible support.
Technical experts have begun a preliminary inquiry into the cause of the accident. The air force has not released any details regarding possible mechanical failure or adverse weather. Senior military officials are monitoring the situation, with further findings expected as the investigation progresses.
The An-32, manufactured by the Ukrainian design bureau Antonov, has been in IAF service since the mid-1980s and is among the fleet’s most dependable tactical transport platforms. The aircraft is rated for operations at high-altitude airfields and has been extensively used in the northeast and Ladakh, as well as for humanitarian relief.
India operates a fleet of around 100 An-32s; following a 2009 crash in Arunachal Pradesh that killed 13, the IAF put the aircraft through a mid-life upgrade programme completed progressively from 2009 onwards, with upgraded avionics and new engines supplied by Motor Sich of Ukraine.
Despite those upgrades, the An-32 fleet has been involved in a number of accidents over the decades. The most recent high-profile incident before Saturday’s crash was the disappearance of an An-32 over the Bay of Bengal in July 2016, with 29 personnel on board, whose wreckage was eventually located at a depth of about 3,400 metres.
The IAF has been seeking a replacement for the ageing fleet under its medium transport aircraft requirement, a procurement that has remained unresolved for several years.
Saturday’s crash is a fresh reminder of the operational hazards inherent in military aviation, particularly on ageing platforms that continue to carry high sortie loads. The IAF said it would share more information as the preliminary inquiry advances.
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