NEW DELHI: Five Indian Air Force personnel were killed after an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the Jorhat air base in Assam on Saturday, according to officials.The co-pilot survived the crash and is undergoing treatment, IAF officials told news agency ANI.
“Five Indian Air Force personnel have lost their lives in the air crash involving the AN-32 transport aircraft at the Jorhat air base in Assam. The co-pilot has survived and is being provided treatment. A court of inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Air Force to ascertain the cause of the crash,” IAF officials told ANI.IAF in a post on X said, “An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident during a routine sortie today at approximately 1000h at Jorhat, Assam.”The aircraft met with the accident during landing, triggering a emergency response at the air force station.Confirming the incident earlier, defence PRO Lt Col M Rawat said, “IAF AN-32 crashes while landing at Jorhat air base. Losses being ascertained.”According to IAF officials, the aircraft did not land on the runway and crashed outside the airstrip area. Firefighting operations were immediately launched at the accident site.Senior Air Force officials rushed to the site following the accident. The entire air force station was sealed as rescue and recovery operations continued.In a statement, the IAF said that the personnel made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty and extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.“The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam,” the IAF said. The deceased have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.Senior IAF officials have rushed to the site, while authorities continue to assess the extent of damage and determine whether there were any casualties.The spokesperson said the entire air force station had been sealed and no entry was being allowed as rescue and emergency operations continued.The Soviet-origin AN-32 is a twin-engine tactical transport aircraft that has served as a key workhorse of the IAF for decades, particularly in difficult terrain and high-altitude sectors in the Northeast and along the Himalayan frontier.The aircraft has been involved in some of the IAF’s most notable aviation tragedies in recent years.In June 2019, an IAF AN-32 carrying 13 personnel went missing after taking off from Jorhat Air Force Station for Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh. Following an extensive search operation, the wreckage was located in mountainous terrain in Arunachal Pradesh and all 13 personnel on board were declared dead.Earlier, in July 2016, another AN-32 disappeared over the Bay of Bengal while flying from Chennai to Port Blair with 29 personnel on board. Despite one of India’s largest search operations, the aircraft could not be located for years and all those on board were presumed dead. Debris linked to the aircraft was eventually identified in 2024.
