Sikkim, June 13: An Indian Air Force AN-32 tactical transport aircraft crashed outside the runway area at the Jorhat airbase on Saturday, resulting in five fatalities among the personnel on board.
The flight crew had executed an emergency turnaround toward the Rowriah military station after detecting a technical malfunction almost immediately after takeoff. Air Force officials stated that the aircraft carried a total of six individuals during the flight. Emergency medical teams extracted the surviving co-pilot from the wreckage, who is currently undergoing treatment.
Responders deployed localized firefighting measures after the aircraft veered off the designated landing path and caught fire. Senior defense administrators restricted access to the entire air force station while emergency operations proceeded through the afternoon to evaluate the structural damage.
The military establishment formalized its inquiry process through a public communication issued later in the day.
“An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat,” the Air Force declared. “A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.”
The Antonov AN-32 network serves as a primary logistical connection for defense operations, handling regular freight transport and tactical airlifts throughout difficult terrain zones.
