The search for the AN-32 aircraft that has been missing over the Bay of Bengal with 29 on board was today on in full swing even as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar left for Chennai to monitor the massive search operation. A rescue and full-scale search by the Navy has been launched but there was no sign of the aircraft till evening. He said going by information available at present, the IAF craft was off the radar at around 9.16 a.m. after it took off at 8.30 a.m. from the Tambaram Air Force Station near here. “As of now we’ll term it as overdue”, a navy officer said.
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The aircraft was to land at Port Blair at 11.30 am, but according to sources, plunged from 23,000 feet into the Bay of Bengal sea, 280 kilometres east of Chennai. The reason for the flight’s disappearance has not been ascertained.
It was carrying service personnel to the strategic islands near the Malacca Straits, where India has a military base. While flying at an altitude of 23,000 feet, it suddenly went off the radar at9. Pilot will be in touch with voice communication if needed. “Search operations are on”, a senior IAF official told IANS over telephone from New Delhi. The Indian Navy ships Sahyadri, Rajput, R’vijay, Kamorta, Kirch, Karmukh, Kora, Kuthar, Shakti, Jyoti, Gharial and Sukanya have joined the search and rescue operation from different places, navy spokesperson said. A submarine was also diverted to the area to hunt for the beacon of the plane in case it was under water, they added. More than 6 aircraft have also been deployed. It had fuel to fly for four hours and 15 minutes. In June 2009, 13 people were killed in a AN-32 crash in Arunachal Pradesh. Before that in March 1986 an AN-32 of the IAF disappeared over the Indian Ocean.
The incident comes a year after a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft with three crew members on board for a routine surveillance flight went missing.
“There were 29 people onboard, including the crew”.
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Speaking of the AN-32, sources said that it is a light military transport multi-purpose aircraft that can operated in various climate conditions, including hot climate (up to + 50°C) and from the mountain airfields up to 4500 m elevation.
