- IAF AN-32 aircraft crashed inside Jorhat Air Force Station causing a massive fire
- Five IAF personnel died in the crash, while the co-pilot survived and is under treatment
- Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident
An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 tactical transport aircraft reportedly crashed inside the perimeter of the Jorhat Air Force Station on Saturday triggering a massive fire upon impact. Five IAF personnel lost their lives in the accident, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish
The co-pilot has survived and is being provided treatment, officials said. A court of inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Air Force to ascertain the cause of the crash, they added.
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This latest mishap follows a fatal accident just months ago involving an IAF Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet in Assam's Karbi Anglong district on March 5. The fighter jet had taken off from the Jorhat airbase for a routine training sortie, post which ground control lost communication and radar contact with the aircraft at approximately 7:42 pm.
Search operations later located the wreckage in a remote, hilly area roughly 60 kilometres from Jorhat, confirming the deaths of both pilots on board.
The Antonov An-32 is a rugged twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft used by the Indian Air Force as a workhorse, with around 100 aircraft operating in its fleet.
The aircraft serves as a vital workhorse capable of operating efficiently from high-altitude airfields and enduring extreme tropical climates. The tactical transport aircraft boasts a payload capacity of up to 7.5 tonnes of cargo. It can alternatively be configured to carry 50 passengers or 42 paratroopers.
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