India

Indian Air Force’s Missing Aircraft Found After Seven And A Half Years

Nearly seven and a half years after the aircraft with 29 people on board went missing, the debris of an Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft has been found at a depth of about 3.4 km in the Bay of Bengal.

Debris found 310 km off the Chennai coast

According to the ministry of defense, an examination of photos taken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology’s autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has confirmed that the debris, which is situated 310 kilometers off the coast of Chennai, is indeed the remains of an AN-32 aircraft.

“The search images were scrutinised and found to be conforming with an An-32 aircraft. This discovery at the probable crash site, with no other recorded history of any other missing aircraft report in the same area, points to the debris as possibly belonging to the crashed IAF An-32,” the ministry said in a statement.

The aircraft goes missing…

The Indian Air Force’s An-32 aircraft, registered K-2743, vanished on a mission on July 22, 2016, over the Bay of Bengal. There were twenty-nine people inside the plane.

The wreckage of the plane and any missing personnel could not be found despite extensive search and rescue operations including ships and aircraft.

Also Read: PM Modi Inspects ‘Atal Setu’ Post Inauguration; Have A Look

National Institute of Ocean Technology conducts search operation

The Ministry of Earth Sciences oversees the National Institute of Ocean Technology, which recently sent an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) equipped with deep-sea investigation capabilities to the last known site of the lost An-32 aircraft.

“This search was conducted at a depth of 3,400 metres using multiple payloads, including a multi-beam SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging), synthetic aperture SONAR and high-resolution photography,” the defence ministry said.

“Analysis of search images had indicated the presence of debris of a crashed aircraft on the sea bed approximately 140 nautical miles (310 km) from the Chennai coast,” it said.

Srishti Verma

Recent Posts

Legal Battle Over Waqf Act Reaches Supreme Court For Urgent Listing

Multiple petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, were mentioned before CJI Sanjiv Khanna for…

28 mins ago

Adani Foundation’s Vision Care Program Becomes A Lifeline In Mirzapur

Adani Foundation’s Vision Care initiative has become a crucial support for rural communities in Mirzapur,…

2 hours ago

Samantha’s First Film As Producer: ‘Subham’ Marks A Special Journey

Samantha, the popular actress, has taken on the role of a producer with her first…

2 hours ago

IPL 2025: GT Pacer Ishant Sharma Fined And Penalised For Code Of Conduct Breach

Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer Ishant Sharma has been fined 25% of his match fees and…

4 hours ago

Indian Stock Markets Plunge Amid Fears of US Tariffs; Showing Early Signs of Recovery

Indian stock markets experienced a sharp decline, driven by concerns over the implementation of US…

4 hours ago

PM Modi Urges Healthier Lifestyle On World Health Day; Warns Against Obesity Crisis

On the occasion of World Health Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to embrace…

4 hours ago