7-years-after-disappearance-iaf-plane-s-debris-found-off-chennai-coast

During a routine testing of a recently acquired Automatic Underwater Vehicle (AUV) by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai, a significant discovery unfolded, resolving a seven-year-old mystery surrounding the missing Indian Air Force transport plane. The AN-32 transport plane, carrying 29 individuals, vanished while flying from Chennai to Port Blair on July 22, 2016.

 

The AUV, designed for deep-sea exploration up to a depth of 6,000 meters and imported from Norway by NIOT six months ago, was undergoing testing and training in the Bay of Bengal last week. Unexpectedly, it identified a large debris field on the ocean floor.

 

Among the remnants, the AUV initially spotted a chakra, a three-colored emblem, leading the NIOT team to consider the possibility of a shipwreck. Additional searches in the vicinity revealed more metal fragments. The images were promptly shared with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences overseeing NIOT, stated that the IAF positively identified the debris as belonging to their missing plane.

 

Recounting the initial search operations after the AN-32 went missing, the Defence Ministry disclosed on Friday, "Large-scale search and rescue operations by aircraft and ships could not locate any missing personnel or the aircraft debris." At that time, NIOT's assistance was sought, but it lacked the specialized equipment it now possesses.

 

The wreckage was located approximately 300 km off the Chennai coast during the recent AUV testing. Ravichandran emphasized that the discovery was accidental, as the AUV was not specifically deployed for search purposes. The AUV, equipped with cameras, captured images and videos during its exploration, subsequently confirming the identity of the crashed AN-32.

 

The Defence Ministry acknowledged the confirmation, stating, "The search images were scrutinized 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."