The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday morning started the rescue and search operations at the site in Shi-yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh where the AN-32 transport aircraft crashed on June 3.
A MI-17 helicopter of IAF on Tuesday spotted the debris of the crashed aircraft in a hilly terrain in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon.
Braving the hostile terrain, the IAF on Wednesday morning was successful in dropping 10 personnel near the crash site with two MI-17 helicopter sorties.
The air-dropped rescue and search team started approaching the location of the wreckage of the AN 32 to search for possible survivors.
Ace mountaineers of IAF and commandoes were part of the rescue and search team, who were dropped close to the crash site on Wednesday morning. The crash site was at 12,000 feet.
Thirteen IAF personnel were on board the AN-32 aircraft, which was flying on June 3 from Jorhat in Assam to Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh.
Visuals of the wreckage site accessed by Northeast Now showed that the AN-32 crashed at a thickly forested area on the mountains, not too far from the Advanced landing Ground (ALG) in Mechuka.
01:40 PM – 12/06/2019
First Photo of Crash site
Thirteen IAF personnel feared killed as wreckage of the AN-32 aircraft which went missing on June 3, has been found in Shi-yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The IAF on Tuesday confirmed through a Twitter message that a MI-17 helicopter, which was engaged in the search and rescue operation, detected debris of the AN-32 aircraft.
“The wreckage of the missing AN-32 was spotted today 16 kms north of Lipo, northeast of Tato, at an approximate elevation of 12,000 ft by the MI-17 helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone,” the Twitter message said.
Efforts are now continuing to establish the status of occupants and establish survivors, the IAF said in the Twitter message.
The IAF is yet to declare the names of the 13 personnel, including the two pilots of the AN 32 aircraft.
Earlier, it was reported that Flight Lieutenant Ashish Tanwar was one of the pilots of the AN 32 aircraft. He is from Palwal in Haryana.
The AN-32 aircraft which took off at 12.27 pm on June 3 from Jorhat airbase went off the radar at 1 pm. There were 13 IAF personnel on board in the AN-32 aircraft, which was going to Mechuka in Shi-yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Bad weather during the last few days had stalled aerial search operations for the missing transport aircraft, while ground operations by Indian Army personnel and civil administration had continued in the mountainous area.
Teams from the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), supported by night-time sensors, worked through the night.
The IAF on Saturday announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone providing information about location of the AN-32 transport aircraft.
IAF’s C-130J transport aircraft, Sukhoi -30 fighter jets, Indian Navy’s P8-I search aircraft and a fleet of IAF and Army helicopters have been searching for the aircraft.
ISRO satellites and unmanned drones were also involved in the search operations for the missing AN 32 aircraft.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had expanded the search area despite challenges posed by vegetation, inhospitable terrain and poor weather.
The wreckage of the missing #An32 was spotted today 16 Kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato at an approximate elevation of 12000 ft by the #IAF Mi-17 Helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone..
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) 11 June 2019
04:30 PM
Thirteen IAF personnel feared killed as wreckage of the AN 32 aircraft which went missing on June 3, has been found in Shi-yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The IAF on Tuesday confirmed through a Twitter message that a MI 17 helicopter, which was engaged in the search and rescue operation, detected debris of the AN 32 aircraft.
04:20 PM
The last image of the missing aircraft- IAF AN-32 – K 2752
04:14 PM
Ground parties now being coordinated to site.
The wreckage of the missing An32 Tail No K2752 was spotted today, 16 Kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato, AP at an approximate elevation of 12000 ft by a Mi-17 Helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone.
Ground parties now being coordinated to site. pic.twitter.com/3Zckmpymmg— Indian Defence (@IndianDefenceRA) 11 June 2019
04:10 PM
Teams from the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), supported by night-time sensors, worked through the night.
The IAF on Saturday announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone providing information about location of the AN-32 transport aircraft.
Also Read – Navy unites with IAF and Army to search the missing AN 32
IAF’s C-130J transport aircraft, Sukhoi -30 fighter jets, Indian Navy’s P8-I search aircraft and a fleet of IAF and Army helicopters have been searching for the aircraft.
ISRO satellites and unmanned drones were also involved in the search operations for the missing AN 32 aircraft.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had expanded the search area despite challenges posed by vegetation, inhospitable terrain and poor weather.
04:06 PM
Bad weather during the last few days had stalled aerial search operations for the missing transport aircraft, while ground operations by Indian Army personnel and civil administration had continued in the mountainous area.
The IAF on Saturday announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone providing information about location of the AN-32 transport aircraft.
04:02 PM
#IAF committed in Searching for the Missing #An32: Today there was marginal improvement in the weather & IAF intensified the search for the missing aircraft. Based on various available inputs, search area was expanded. Ground forces also increased the search. 1/2
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) 10 June 2019
03:56 PM
The wreckage of the Indian Air Force An-32 aircraft that went missing with 13 persons on board on June 3 has been spotted near Lipo in Arunachal Pradesh.
