More Than Six Aircraft, 17 Ships Search for IAF’s Missing AN-32
Authorities lost contact with the aircraft at 7.46 am and it was last seen on the radar at 8:12 am.
File photo of the same Indian Air Force An-32 (K-2743) that’s currently missing over the Bay of Bengal.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@ShivAroor)
- Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft, missing en route Chennai’s Tambaram airport to Port Blair.
- Authorities lost contact with the aircraft at 8.46 am.
- The aircraft was supposed to land at Port Blair at 11.30 am.
- Flight level was at 23000 ft, and barely 150 nautical miles east of Chennai.
- More than six air crafts and 17 ships have been deployed for search and rescue operations.
- One Coast Guard, 11 navy personnel, three Air Force pilots, two pilots, eight civilians from the ANC among the missing 29 passengers.
Spokesperson of the Indian Navy has said that 17 ships have been deployed by the naval force and the Indian Coast Guard. More than six air crafts have been sent as a part of the search operations which will continue 24x7.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar briefed Prime Minister Modi on the SAR operations on the missing AN-32 aircraft.
No Sign of Missing Aircraft Yet
No sign of the missing AN-32 aircraft has been spotted. The Navy’s first P8I aircraft returned to Tambaram near Chennai. A second P8I will be launched.
Missing Aircraft Reported Three Snags in July Alone
The missing IAF AN-32 reported three snags in July, according to The Indian Express.
The throttle movement of the aircraft was reported as sluggish on 2 July. On 7 July, hydraulic leak was reported from a port wing root. A third snag was reported on 14 July pertaining to pressure leak from port door.
The aircraft was overhauled at 1 Base Repair Deport in Kanpur in September, according to The Indian Express, and had flown 279 hours since.
Three ships of the Indian Coast Guard joined the search for the missing flight. The Navy has diverted its submarine to detect underwater transmissions of the missing AN-32 aircraft in Bay of Bengal.
Last Radar Track of Missing Flight Barely 150 Nautical Miles East of Chennai
The last radar track of the missing flight was at 99 degrees and barely 150 nautical miles east of Chennai, shortly after 9 am. Radar contact with the missing AN-32 was lost after the aircraft made an extreme turn – and rapidly fell from 23,000 feet.
Eight Civilians Among 29 Onboard
Eight civilians are among the 29 on board the missing AN 32 aircraft that is presumed to have crashed in Bay of Bengal.
Two P-8ls, three Dornier aircraft along with 13 naval warships and one Coast Guard vessel have currently been deployed for search and rescue operations for the Indian Airforce’s AN-32 aircraft that went missing on Friday morning.
The missing AN-32 aircraft went airborne at 8:30 am in morning, was expected to reach Port Blair by 11:30 am. 29 people were on board, as confirmed by Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee.
Among those missing from the Indian Force’s AN-32 aircraft are one Coast Guard, 11 navy personnel, three Air Force pilots, and two pilots from Andaman Command, reports India Today’s Shiv Aroor.
Navy Deploys Two Aircraft, Four Ships in Search of Missing Plane; Airforce Also Pitches In
The Navy has sent one P-8I and a Dornier aircraft to look for the missing IAF AN-32 aircraft.
Four Indian Navy ships – Karmukh, Gharial, Jyoti and Kuthar have also been deployed.
The Indian Airforce has also launched one C-130 and one AN-32 on search and rescue operations to look for the missing aircraft.
Aircraft Was Travelling to the Andaman and Nicobar Command
The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is the first integrated theatre command in India with headquarters at Port Blair which dominates the western approach to the Malacca strait.
It operates under Chief of Staff Committee (COSC). The ANC was created in 2001. The present Commander-in-Chief of the ANC is Vice Admiral, PK Chatterjee.
Only 8 AN-32s Have Been Lost in Accidents
The Antonov AN-32 is a military transport aircraft. The missing aircraft is a part of nearly 100 strong AN-32 fleet, which is in service with the IAF currently.
The aircraft has a good record in service as only eight AN-32s have been lost in accidents since they were inducted in 1984. The AN-32 is designed to withstand adverse weather conditions better than the standard AN-26.
Indian Airforce’s AN-32 aircraft, which took off from Chennai’s Tambaram airport and is “overdue” at Port Blair, is reportedly missing.
A massive search operation is being carried out for the aircraft, which was carrying 29 people on board.
Authorities lost contact with the aircraft at 8.46 am and it was last seen on the radar at 8:12 am, according to sources. The aircraft was supposed to arrive at Port Blair at 11:30 am.
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