The aircraft, which took off from Jorhat at 1225 hrs lost contact around 1300 hours. (Representational)An AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, which took off for the Mechuka Advance Landing Ground in Arunachal Pradesh lost contact with the ground station on Monday, sources told The Indian Express.
The aircraft, which took off from Jorhat, Assam at 1225 hours lost contact at around 1300 hours with the ground station and failed to reach the designated airfield.
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The aircraft was carrying eight crew members and five passengers. The IAF has initiated an overdue action and employed all its resources to locate the aircraft. A Sukhoi-30MKI, C-130 Special Operations aircraft has been deployed on a search mission.
“Five crew and eight passengers carrying IAF plane were supposed to reach Mechuka at 13.30 and it hasn’t. We have initiated search operations,” said IAF PRO Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh. Army and ITBP personnel have also been pressed into action to join IAF in searches on the ground.
The Mechuka Advance Landing Ground is located in Mechuka Valley in West Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the closest landing ground to the India-China border nearing the McMohan line.
Antonov An-32 is a tactical transport aircraft used by the Indian Air Force and have been in service since 1984. An-32 has been a trustworthy workhorse for the IAF for many years and is designed to be extensively used.
