Chennai: An An-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force en route to Port Blair from Chennai with 29 persons on board went missing over the Bay of Bengal about 30 minutes after it took off from the Tambaram airbase near Chennai at 8.30 a.m. on Friday. A full-scale search is under way.

“An IAF An-32 aircraft travelling from Chennai to Port Blair on a courier flight with service personnel was scheduled to arrive at Port Blair at 11.30 hrs and is overdue,” Wg. Cdr. A. Banerjee, IAF spokesperson, said earlier in the day.

The last scheduled radio contact with the aircraft was at 8:46 a.m. and the plane was last seen on radar at 9:00 a.m.

“It was last seen 150 nautical miles due East and suddenly turned sharp left and was seen rapidly losing height from 23,000 feet,” an officer said. The An-32 can remain airborne for a maximum of four and half hours given its fuel capacity. Sources said few possible sites have been identified and assets have been despatched to verify the possible location of the missing aircraft.

The missing An-32 had originated from the Sulur Air Force Station, where on an average between 10 and 14 such aircraft are stationed. This courier aircraft ferried logistics and personnel to the Andaman and Nicobar islands, making two or three trips a week depending on the requirement.

Typically, the trip would be Sulur-Tambaram-Port Blair-Car Nicobar where there would be an overnight layover. The aircraft would return the next day. In this instance, the pilot, co-pilot and navigator of the aircraft are thought to be stationed in Sulur. The 29 persons onboard the missing An-32 comprise six aircrew, 11 Air Force personnel, two from the Army, nine from the Navy and one from the Coast Guard. These include four officers and eight Navy civilians.

The IAF has deployed a C-130J Hercules and one An-32 for the search. The Navy has pressed 12 ships, two P-8I long-range patrol aircraft and two Dornier aircraft for Full Search & Rescue (SAR) efforts.

Bureau Report