Parrikar in Chennai to monitor search for AN-32

The television network stated more than 12 Navy and Coast Guard ships have been directed to the Bay of Bengal along with a submarine to search for the transport plane.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the National Disaster Response Force to assist the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard to locate the missing aircraft.

The recorded transcript of the Chennai air traffic radar showed the last pick-up of the aircraft was 151 nautical miles east of Chennai when it was observed to have taken a left turn with rapid loss of height from 23,000 feet.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was in Chennai on Saturday, undertook a two-hour aerial survey of the area of operation. The sea is very choppy, and covered by thick monsoon clouds, the sources said.

Speaking on the search operation, he said: “Extensive operations have been launched to search for the missing aircraft and personnel”.

The 29 people on board the Air Force’s workhorse for a long period included two pilots, a navigator besides personnel from the Navy and the Army.

The Russian-made AN-32 could go for four hours without refueling, Defense Ministry spokesman Nitin Wakankar said.

Rajan Bargotra, the inspector general of the east region of the coast guard, said that as of now the search operation teams have not been able to detect any debris or appliance linked to the aircraft.

While Indian Navy PRO Captain D.K. Sharma told the Indian Air Force and Navy and Coast Screw are involved in all-out search acts to find the Indian Air Force’s AN 32.

The plane was making a routine courier flight and had on board service personnel along with the crew.

The plane had reported three snags this month, according to the note – a pressure leak from the port door, a hydraulic leak and sluggish throttle movement.

Eight more warships and a submarine have now joined the search. The other people on board were civilians, some of them family members of soldiers deployed on the islands.

However, what adds to the concern is the fact that this aircraft can only fly for up to four hours without re-fuelling.

AN-32 transport aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force between 1984-1991.