Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel lost their lives when an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Assam's Jorhat airbase around 10 am on Saturday. The co-pilot survived and is receiving treatment at a military hospital in Jorhat, according to IAF officials.
Details of the Incident
Six personnel were aboard the aircraft, including two officers among the deceased. The victims have been identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the IAF expressed condolences on social media platform X. A court of inquiry has been constituted to determine the cause of the accident.
Technical Malfunction Reported
Sources revealed that shortly after takeoff from Jorhat on a routine sortie, the pilot reported a technical malfunction and decided to return to base. However, during landing, the aircraft skidded off the runway and caught fire, resulting in five fatalities.
Concerns Over Aging AN-32 Fleet
The incident has raised serious questions about the safety of the AN-32 aircraft, which are over 35 years old. The IAF still operates nearly 100 of these twin-engine turboprop transports, which serve as the workhorse in the Himalayas for tactical airlift, troop movement, cargo delivery, and logistics support, especially in remote and high-altitude areas. The aircraft is equipped with specialized high-thrust engines for hot and high environments.
History of AN-32 Crashes
- June 3, 2019: Plane disappeared shortly after takeoff from Jorhat for Arunachal; all 13 aboard killed.
- July 2016: Plane with 29 disappeared en route from Chennai to Port Blair; wreckage found in 2024; all dead.
- June 2009: AN-32 crashed near Rinchi Hill in Arunachal; all 13 personnel killed.
- March 1999: Crash near Delhi's Palam airport; all 21 on board killed, plus casualties on ground.
Replacement Plans
India originally purchased 125 AN-32 aircraft, with deliveries starting in 1984. In 2009, a deal was finalized with Ukraine for fleet upgrades, including life extension, engine repowering, structural modifications, and installation of a glass cockpit with modern avionics. Some upgrades were done in Ukraine, while others were to be completed at No. 1 Base Repair Depot in Kanpur. The IAF has begun replacing the aging AN-32 with Airbus C-295 aircraft, though the C-295 primarily replaces the Avro HS-748 fleet. Additionally, the Medium Transport Aircraft program aims to replace the AN-32 with a plane capable of carrying 18 to 30 tonnes, but the foreign partner is yet to be selected.
