Sukhoi-30 to trace missing plane

New Delhi/Palwal, June 5

Even as a massive day-night search for a transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force, which went missing two days ago, continues in the mountainous Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district, Haryana’s Dighaat village in Palwal is hoping against hope that its native Ashish Tanwar, 29, the pilot of the missing AN-32, will return home safe.

Flight Lieutenant Tanwar, who got married two years ago, was commissioned as a pilot in 2015. At home for holidays, he had rejoined duty on May 18. The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft with 13 persons on board lost contact on Monday afternoon after it took off from Jorhat in Assam. 

Additional assets, including two Sukhoi-30s, were deployed on the third day to locate the plane, apart from a fleet of C-130J and AN-32 planes and two Mi-17 and two ALH helicopters.

The ground forces included troops from the Army, ITBP and state police. The two Sukhoi-30 and two C-130J aircraft will carry out night missions. — Agencies/TNS