Missing AN-32 untraced

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 23

Even as a massive search for the missing Indian Air Force AN-32 transport plane carrying 29 on board continued for the second day today, questions are being raised as to how the plane disappeared without the pilots sending out a distress call.

The plane has been missing since Friday after it took off from the Tambaram airbase, Chennai, at 8.30 am on a routine flight to Port Blair.

The last radio contact was at 8.46 am and the plane was last spotted on the radar at 9.12 am when it was 151 nautical miles east of Chennai, over the Bay of Bengal. 

The IAF informed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that the aircraft made a left turn with a rapid loss of height from 23,000 feet. Parrikar flew with a search sortie aboard Navy’s P8-I aircraft this morning. He was shown images originating from the scanners and sensors.

Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and Navy Eastern Command Chief Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht accompanied him.

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The disappearance of the AN-32 is being seen with concern in the IAF as the Soviet-built aircraft are designed to fly even during emergency situations.