The Indian Air Force (IAF) on June 14 paid homage to the five personnel who lost their lives in the crash of an AN-32 transport aircraft while attempting to land at the Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam.
The deceased have been identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. Paying tribute to the personnel, the IAF said they had made the “supreme sacrifice in the line of duty” and conveyed its condolences to the bereaved families.
Defence officials said the mortal remains of Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar and Agniveervayu Danish Alam are being transported to their hometowns in Dehradun, Gaya and Bhojpur respectively for the last rites.
The AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at around 10 am on Saturday while attempting to land at the Jorhat airfield. The Air Force had initially confirmed that one of its aircraft had met with an accident at the air station and later announced that all five personnel on board had succumbed to the crash.
In an official statement, the IAF said it “deeply regrets the loss of five personnel” and assured full support to the families affected by the tragedy.
Following the accident, the Air Force has constituted a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash. The investigation will examine technical, operational and maintenance aspects of the flight to determine the circumstances that led to the mishap.
The AN-32, a twin-engine military transport aircraft, is extensively used by the Indian Air Force for logistics, cargo transport and operational support missions, particularly in remote and high-altitude regions.
The Jorhat accident is among the most serious mishaps involving the IAF in recent years, with investigators now focusing on the factors that may have contributed to the fatal crash during the aircraft’s landing approach.
