The massive search and rescue operation for the missing AN-32 aircraft of the IAF continued for the third day on Wednesday. However, inclement weather slowed down the efforts involving scores of aircraft and helicopters of the IAF, Navy and Army besides ground troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) patrolling the likely area where the plane was feared to have crashed. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also deployed its satellites.
The AN-32 transport plane with 13 onboard went missing on Monday afternoon after taking off from Jorhat in Assam for Mechuka advanced landing ground in Arunachal Pradesh. The plane took off at 12.25 pm and lost radio contact at 1.00 pm. The IAF launched the rescue operation after the plane failed to land in Mechuka at the scheduled time of 1.25 pm. The flying time between Jorhat and Mechuka is about 50 minutes and distance is nearly 206 kms as the crow flies. IAF Eastern Command chief Air Marshal RD Mathur on Tuesday visited Jorhat and met the families of missing personnel.
Mechuka landing ground located in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh is the lifeline for troops guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing China as the planes and helicopters ferry personnel, food and ammunition. The LAC is about 30 kms as the crow flies from Mechuka. Incidentally, an AN-32 had crashed near Mechuka in June 2009 killing all 13 passengers.
As regards the ongoing search operation, officials said here on Wednesday two SU-30s, two C-130J, two MI-17 helicopters of the IAF besides one advanced light helicopter of the army and one light helicopter of IAF are involved. Moreover, a P-8 I long range reconnaissance aircraft of the Navy and satellites of the ISRO are also mapping the area in an effort to locate the aircraft. Thick vegetation and inclement weather is making the task difficult, they said.
The main focus, at present, is on an area forming triangle, including Along, Tato and Payum in Mechuka with planes and helicopters flying sorties. Explaining the reason behind concentrating on these three areas, they said the areas fall in the flight path of the aircraft. Moreover, after it lost radio contact , the plane, which obviously could not have turned back, may have continued on the designated route and may have gone down there, officials said.
The entire area is divided into air lanes with the specified planes and helicopters flying sorties in their demarcated zones to and fro many times to pick up any signal from ground. Unfortunately, the emergency locator transmitter fitted on the AN-32 has so far not emitted any signal, they said.
One AN-32 with 29 onboard went missing in 2016 while on a flight from Chennai to Port Blair and is yet to be traced. It is feared to gone down in Bay of Bengal.