In a recent rather disturbing development, the missing Indian Air Force An-32 air craft overdue since 1130h at INS Utkrosh Port Blair abruptly turned and plunged from 23,000 feet approx. 280-km out at sea from Chennai.
It has been 6.5 hours since the search operation has been launched. The assets looking out for the lost air craft are:
A Full scale SAR has been launched by Indian Navy to look for IAF AN 32 air craft overdue at INS Utkrosh Port Blair since 1130h said Spokesperson Ministry of Defence.
We will put all assets available with us in search operation for IAF aircraft AN-32 said Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee.
‘Visibility in Bay of Bengal is the biggest problem for rescue ships' GJ Singh, Retd Commander
15:02 (IST)
IAF, Navy and Coast Guard join in
The IAF, Navy and Coast Guard joined in to launch a massive search operation on the Bay of Bengal.
14:59 (IST)
Experts discuss weather conditions
Several defence and meteorological experts discussed whether the monsoons could have adversely affected the flight path.
14:56 (IST)
IAF aircraft went off radar 16 minutes after taking flight
The IAF aircraft AN32 went off the radar 16 minutes after taking off from Tambaram at 8.30 am
14:55 (IST)
C-130J launched for rescue mission
IAF launches one C-130J and one AN-32 for search and rescue operations.
14:51 (IST)
AN-32: All you need to know
More than 240 of the AN-32 aircrafts are being operated in countries, which have adverse climate conditions, including India, Sri Lanka, Columbia, Peru, Mexico, Afghanistan and African countries.
Read this detailed report on Firstpost about the Indian Air Force's AN-32.
AN-32 made last contact at 8.46 am
According to latest reports, last contact with Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft was at 8.46 am, flight level was at 23000 feet, distance covered 1375 kilometers.
14:44 (IST)
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar: Daylight would make it easier for search ops
Daylight will make it easier for IAF rescue ops, otherwise the Navy will have to be roped in with increased capacity.
DK Sharma, Navy PRO speaks on IAF AN-32 plane that went missing for over an hour on its way to Port Blair
“The navy has launched a full scale SAR, as of now we have called it an overdue. We have launched two P8-Is and three Dornier aircrafts and four of the ships in the Bya of Bengal have been asked to rush to the spot. The ETD of arrival for the flight was supposed to be at 11.30am, unfortunately it has not arrived there.”
14:18 (IST)
P8-I (Poseidon) and Dornier aircrafts deployed
The Poseidon is armed with harpoon block missiles and is called the “country's intelligent hawk eyes.” The aircraft has also achieved a number of operational milestones which includes participation in the search effort for Malaysian Airlines MH370.
The P-8I has a maximum speed of 907 kmph and an operating range of 1200 nautical miles.
The Dornier 228 is the most versatile and most advanced high-wing aircraft in its class.
14:13 (IST)
Rescue mission demonstration
AN-32: Antonov, a new Russian plane
“The An-32 from the backbone of the IAF's medium lift capabilities. Originally equipping six operational squadrons and a training unit, several of the type has now been put into storage. The An-32s were hit hard by the chaos in the ex-USSR as spares became harder to obtain. In response to these problems, the IAF successfully fitted several An-32s with An-12 power plants upon the retirement of the latter, and put a number airframes into storage. Although the spares problem is no longer as acute as in the early 1990s, the IAF has seen fit to keep the type flying with four operational squadrons and prevent wear & tear on the rest. The IAF still maintains one and a half squadrons of Hs.748 military freighters. The retirement of these aircraft in the near future is bound to affect the IAF airlift capabilities. It is not yet clear what aircraft the IAF considering as replacements for the type, although a fleeting interest has been shown in the ATR-42. The An-32s will also need replacements by the end of the decade as spares become harder to come by and airframe life will rapidly expire. The IAF Do-228 light transports are relatively new and the type is still in production in-country and one can expect the type to stick around well into the future.”
13:53 (IST)
Rescue ops on
Full scale search and rescue operation has been launched in in Bay of Bengal for IAF aircraft AN-32. One P8 I and one Dornier aircraft launched. Four Indian Navy ships diverted to join in search and rescue operations.
13:50 (IST)
Wing Commander, Praful Bakshi on Times Now:
What goes on in the Indian Air Force control room when the air-craft goes missing — the radar in the area are monitored and there is a beacon on the aircraft which is support to give constant transmission. The coast guard and the navy have already activated that.
13:48 (IST)
AN-32: A reliable aircraft
The AN-32 is an old plane, but is a reliable aircraft with a good record. It is a Russian plane and has serviced the IAF across the world.
13:42 (IST)
People onboard: 6 crew members, 23 others
According to a Times Now report, there are 4 crew members on board the IAF AN-32 and there are 25 others on the plane as well.
However, PTI reports that there were 6 crew members.
The nature of this flight is military and is in the Chennai flight information region.
The plane was on courier duty
This means that the airplane was intended to send mail, letters to Port Blair along with people. The plane lost radio contact and if officially missing.
13:36 (IST)
Rescue and search operations on
Search operations are underway. Join operations and rescue operations have been launched all over the Bay of Bengal to locate the plane and rescue those on board.
13:35 (IST)
Last contact made at 7.46 am
The plane left Tambaram at 7.30 am and the aircraft AN-32 carrying 29 people on board en-route to Portblair made the last contact at 7.46 am.
The plane was last seen ont he radar at 8.12 am.
13:34 (IST)
29 aboard
On the IAF plane, there are 29 people aboard. The flight was enroute Port Blair from Chennai (Tambaram).
13:33 (IST)
IAF plane missing
According to ANI, Indian Air Force AN-32 plane flying from Tambaram (Chennai) to Port Blair has gone missing for over 1 hour.
