The enigma surrounding the disappearance of the Indian Air Force’s An-32 transport aircraft in 2016 has seemingly been unraveled, as debris believed to be from the crashed plane was discovered off the Chennai coast. The aircraft, with 29 personnel on board, vanished during an operational mission over the Bay of Bengal. The findings, which bring closure to the families of the personnel, were the result of a deep-sea exploration conducted by an Autonomous Utility Vehicle (AUV) developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology.
The AUV, equipped with multi-beam SONAR, synthetic aperture SONAR, and high-resolution photography capabilities, conducted a meticulous search at a depth of 3,400 meters to locate the missing aircraft’s last known position. The analysis of the obtained images revealed debris on the sea bed, approximately 310 km off the Chennai coast, believed to be consistent with the characteristics of the An-32 aircraft.
The National Institute of Ocean Technology, operating under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, confirmed that no other aircraft had crashed in the identified area, and the photographs of the discovered debris aligned with the specifications of the An-32. While the recovery of the wreckage provides answers to the families, the reasons behind the crash that occurred on July 22, 2016, still remain undisclosed.
On that fateful day, the An-32, with flight number K-2743, took off from the Tambaran air base in Chennai at 8:30 am, en route to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The aircraft, carrying 29 personnel, including eight civilians, lost contact 16 minutes after take-off, with the last communication from the pilot stating, “Everything is normal.” The plane rapidly descended from 23,000 feet and disappeared from radar screens at approximately 9:12 am, 280 km off the Chennai coast.
Following the disappearance, a massive search operation, involving the Indian Air Force and Navy, was initiated. Navy’s Dornier aircraft and 11 ships were deployed in what became India’s largest search operation for a missing aircraft. The challenging operation was further complicated by rough weather conditions.
A preliminary investigation suggested that the aircraft lacked essential equipment designed to aid in locating it in the event of a crash at sea. Notably, the absence of an underwater locator beacon, which emits an electronic signal for at least a month following activation during a crash, posed a significant challenge to search efforts.
While the discovery of the debris brings some measure of closure, the exact circumstances leading to the crash and the absence of crucial equipment remain key aspects for further investigation. The Indian Air Force and relevant authorities may delve deeper into these aspects to glean insights into the tragic incident that unfolded almost eight years ago.
Sources By Agencies