Assam: Leaders mourn loss of five IAF personnel in AN-32 crash at Jorhat airbase; IAF orders court of inquiry
New Delhi, June 13
Condolences poured in from political leaders across the country on Saturday following the tragic crash of an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft at the Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam, which claimed the lives of five Air Force personnel, while the co-pilot survived and is undergoing treatment.
The Indian Air Force confirmed that five personnel lost their lives in the crash of the AN-32 transport aircraft during a landing attempt at the Jorhat airfield around 10:00 am. The deceased personnel were identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
Meanwhile, expressing grief over the incident, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the nation would always remember the courage and sacrifice of the Air Warriors.
"Deeply anguished by the loss of five Air Warriors in the AN-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief," Rajnath Singh said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also expressed condolences for five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel and said the state government was in touch with the concerned authorities to extend all necessary support.
"Pained by the loss of 5 brave Air Warriors of @IAF_MCC in the AN-32 accident in Jorhat. The loss of Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam in the line of duty is deeply unfortunate. On behalf of the people of Assam, I offer my thoughts and prayers with the bereaved families in this hour of grief," Sarma posted on X.
Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati also expressed grief over the loss of lives, offering condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the recovery of the injured co-pilot.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of five brave Indian Air Force personnel in the AN-32 aircraft crash near Jorhat, Assam. Their courage, dedication and service to the nation will always be remembered with gratitude and respect. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May the departed souls attain sadgati. I pray for the swift recovery of the co-pilot who is undergoing treatment," the Governor said in a post on X.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta termed the incident "tragic", saying, "This is a tragic incident. The Air Force personnel do excellent work, but when such accidents occur, it naturally brings sorrow. I express my condolences to their families," Gupta told ANI.
Meanwhile, following the incident, the Indian Air Force ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash.
In a post on X, IAF wrote, "An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident."
Retired Indian Air Force Group Captain Rajiv Kumar Narang urged people against speculation until the Court of Inquiry completes its findings.
"The AN-32 is a transport aircraft. Unfortunately, while landing at the Jorhat Air Force Station, it crashed on approach. I believe five people have died--two of them were officers, and three were from other ranks. The co-pilot is currently being treated in the hospital, and we wish him a speedy recovery," Narang told ANI.
"Our condolences go out to the bereaved families; we hope they can overcome their grief. The Air Force has ordered a Court of Inquiry, which is a normal process. Whenever anything happens, there is a mechanism to identify the causes, whatever they may be. So, until that Court of Inquiry is done, nothing should be assumed," he added.
Narang said aviation accidents can occur due to multiple variables and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.
"I think we should wait for the Court of Inquiry's initial findings to come out. Accidents are a part of the flying profession; there are so many variables. As a former helicopter pilot, I have seen a phenomenal number of instances where variables come into play. I think they can vary from technical issues to weather to human judgment. Anything can happen," he said.
Commenting on the same, former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Flight Operations Inspector Prashant Dhalla described the crash as "unfortunate" and said multiple factors could have contributed to the accident.
"It's a very unfortunate accident. The AN-32 is a widely used aircraft in the Indian Air Force and is primarily used for the transport of cargo. The surprising part is that this crash has happened within the vicinity of the Jorhart Air Force Station base. According to me, there can be multiple factors. That is a matter for the investigation. However, there were heavy rains reported. Also, low cloud activity was reported at Jorhart. It can be a case of spatial disorientation, a technical error, a weather related phenomena which has led to this catastrophic accident," Dhalla told ANI.
Similarly, former Director General - Inspection and Flight Safety (Indian Air Force), Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor (Retd), also said, "The exact reason will be known as and when more details come out, or the Court of Inquiry details are made public," he said.
Air Marshal further highlighted the operational excellence of the Indian Air Force's AN-32 aircraft.
Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor (Retd) said, "AN-32 is a very safe aeroplane which has been flying in the Indian Air Force for the last 40 years. It has been the backbone of the transport fleet operating in the north in Siachen, Leh, Ladakh and drop zones. Operating over the oceans in Andaman and Nicobar and sustaining our island territories of Lakshadweep and Port Blair. It has also been operating in the desert areas in the Southwestern Air Command."
"It has been operating in the maritime roles, along our coastal regions. So long and short, be it para, be it assault, be it any evacuation, special ops, or a normal communication, these aeroplanes have stood the test of time for the Indian Air Force. They have been upgraded. They are absolutely in good condition, though old," he added.
Aviation expert and retired Wing Commander Praful Bakshi also said a detailed inquiry would determine the cause of the crash and highlighted the importance of flight data in such investigations.
"Whenever a crash takes place, an inquiry is ordered. That is the SOP, and inquiries take time. However, some evidence and points can be ascertained regarding what could have been the reason. When an aircraft is coming in to land--for instance, if an aircraft, like a four-engine Liberator rather than an AN-32, is coming in to land properly, but goes off the runway after landing, then it is something else. If it landed hard, the ATC can see the hard landing because the aircraft broke into two pieces and a fire took place," Bakshi told ANI.
He said the aircraft's flight data recorder would provide crucial technical information.
"The first thing to note is that there is a flight data recorder in the aircraft. The flight data recorder will record what the approach speed was, what the RPM was, what the oil pressure, oil temperatures, and rate of descent were. Everything can be found out from there," he said.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness to the AN-32 transport aircraft crash told ANI, "A plane arrived and landed here. Before landing, it released white smoke. After that, when black smoke came out, it started making noise. After the noise, this entire area started shaking as if there was an earthquake. People gathered here and saw that there was a plane."
The AN-32 is a twin-engine military transport aircraft that has been extensively used by the Indian Air Force for logistics, cargo transportation and operational support missions across diverse terrains, including high-altitude and remote regions.
According to the Ministry of Defence, IAF is mulling replacing its ageing AN-32 and IL-76 transport aircraft with the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme to meet future strategic, tactical and operational airlift requirements.
Further details are awaited regarding the cause of the crash.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Saddened by this tragedy. The IAF has always shown professionalism and courage. My thoughts are with the families of Squadron Leader Singh, Flight Lieutenant Kumar, Sergeant Sharma, and the two Agniveervayus. The co-pilot's survival is a small blessing. Hope the inquiry brings clarity.
Salute to our air warriors! The AN-32 has served us well in Siachen, Leh, and everywhere in between. But with heavy rains and low clouds at Jorhat, maybe weather played a role. Let's not speculate and wait for the inquiry. Meanwhile, let's support the families who lost their loved ones. 😢
This is a stark reminder of the risks our armed forces face daily, even in peacetime. The IAF's decision to start a court of inquiry is the right step. I also note the focus on replacing the AN-32 fleet with the MTA – that's long overdue. The nation grieves with the families.
I've seen these AN-32s flying over Arunachal Pradesh many times – they're lifelines for our troops. The loss of five personnel is deeply unfortunate. One thing that nags me: why are we still heavily relying on a fleet that's 40 years old? Time to accelerate the MTA procurement. Om Shanti to the departed. 🙏
Very sad news from Assam. My heartfelt condolences to the families of these brave personnel. The co-pilot is a survivor – I pray for his full recovery. It's encouraging to see leaders from across the spectrum united in grief. But we must ask: are our ageing aircraft being serviced
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