Bad weather hits search for missing IAF An-32 aircraft, operation called off for day 3

IAF said on Wednesday that it faced several challenges while conducting search operations due to rugged terrain and poor weather conditions.

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In Short

  • Officers in charge of the operations said that the search area has been expanded
  • The air force deployed two SU-30s, C-130J, Mi17s, ALHs each to locate the missing aircraft
  • The missing plane is not part of the upgraded AN-32 fleet of the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has called off the search operations to trace the missing Antonov AN-32 aircraft due to low visibility and will again resume on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, two SUs and C-130Js will be carrying out night missions to locate the missing aircraft.

IAF said on Wednesday that it faced several challenges while conducting search operations due to rugged terrain and poor weather conditions. However, officers in charge of the operations said that the search has been expanded and all leads from airborne sensors are being closely assessed.

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The air force deployed two SU-30s, C-130J, Mi17s, ALHs each to locate the missing aircraft. The two SU-30 fighter aircraft were deployed for rescue operations on Wednesday morning as operations to trace the AN-32 were futile.

Meanwhile, ISRO satellites were deployed along with naval P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft to locate the wreckage of the missing AN-32 aircraft, which went missing three days ago with 13 IAF personnel on board.

"Satellites of the ISRO and other agencies have been pressed into service over parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to locate the missing An-32 transport aircraft with 13 people on board. Su-30MKI, C-130J Super Hercules and other assets continuing search operations in cloudy weather," sources in IAF said here.

The Navy said that its long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P-8I took off from INS Rajali in Arakonam, Tamil Nadu for joining the search and rescue operation.

Officials said the wreckage of the AN-32 transport aircraft which went missing on Monday in Arunachal Pradesh has not been located yet.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been apprised of the situation by the Air Force.

The Antonov AN-32 with 13 personnel including seven officers and six air warriors on board went missing in Arunachal Pradesh after taking off from Assam's Jorhat.

The aircraft took off from Jorhat at 12:25 pm and headed for Menchuka Advance Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh near China border. The last contact between the aircraft and ground agencies took place at 1 pm.

The Soviet-era aircraft was inducted in the Indian Air Force in the 1980s and has been undergoing upgrades. The missing plane is not part of the upgraded AN-32 fleet of the Indian Air Force.

Three years ago, on July 22, 2016, an airborne AN-32 aircraft had gone missing with 29 people on board. The aircraft was travelling from Chennai to Port-Blair in Andaman and Nicobar when it went missing over the Bay of Bengal.