The death of five Indian Air Force personnel in the crash of an AN-32 transport aircraft at Assam's Jorhat airbase on Saturday, has put a spotlight on the history of accidents involving the Soviet-era workhorse. The AN-32 has served as the backbone of the Indian Air Force’'s tactical transport fleet since its maiden flight in 1976. But its service history has also been marred by several fatal crashes, claiming the lives of dozens.

While the probe into the latest tragedy is underway, here is a look at 12 major AN-32 accidents.

June 2026: Five killed in Jorhat crash

An AN-32 aircraft crashed on Saturday while attempting to land at the Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam, killing five personnel. The aircraft was on a routine sortie when the accident occurred while landing at the IAF airbase in the Rowriah area. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.

March 2025: Bagdogra landing mishap destroys AN-32, all crew survive

An AN-32 transport aircraft was destroyed in a landing accident near Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal on March 7, 2025. The aircraft, identified by registration number K2752, crashed less than 10 km from the airport while attempting to land under circumstances that remain under investigation. Despite the aircraft being written off in the accident, all personnel on board escaped safely, and no injuries or fatalities were reported either among the crew or on the ground. The incident was notable for ending without loss of life, making it one of the few serious AN-32 accidents in recent years in which all occupants survived.

June 2019: AN-32 crashes in Arunachal Pradesh, killing 13

One of the deadliest recent AN-32 accidents occurred on June 3, 2019, when an aircraft flying from Jorhat to Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh lost contact with ground control about 33 minutes after take-off. After an extensive search operation involving multiple agencies, the wreckage was located in mountainous terrain and all 13 people on board were found dead.

July 2016: Aircraft disappears over Bay of Bengal with 29 aboard

An AN-32 flying from Chennai to Port Blair vanished over the Bay of Bengal on July 22, 2016, carrying 29 service personnel. Despite one of India's largest search-and-rescue operations, no survivors were found. Years later, debris linked to the aircraft was identified on the seabed, bringing some closure to a case that remained one of India's biggest aviation mysteries.

September 2014: AN-32 crash-lands at Chandigarh, all nine on board survive

An AN-32 aircraft, tail number K2757, was destroyed in a landing accident at Chandigarh Airport on September 20, 2014. The aircraft was operating a short flight from Bathinda and was carrying nine people, including four crew members and five passengers, when it encountered difficulties during landing.

As it touched down at around 21:30 local time, the aircraft reportedly became unstable. On impact, its right wing struck the ground and broke away, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway. It then skidded across a grassy area before overturning and catching fire.

Despite the severity of the crash and the aircraft being completely destroyed, all nine occupants miraculously survived, sustaining only minor injuries.

June 2009: Crash near Mechuka kills 13

An AN-32 crashed in Arunachal Pradesh shortly after taking off from the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in June 2009. All 13 personnel on board died. The accident prompted renewed scrutiny of operations in challenging mountainous terrain and accelerated efforts to modernise the ageing fleet.

February 2000: AN-32 crashes near Bengaluru, no casualties reported

An AN-32 transport aircraft, tail number K2690, crashed while approaching Bengaluru’s Hindustan Airport in Karnataka on February 23, 2000. The aircraft, manufactured in 1984, was on a scheduled flight when it went down in Vijayanagar district, approximately 13 km short of the runway threshold.

The aircraft reportedly came down during its final approach under unclear circumstances. Despite crashing in a populated region, there were no fatalities or injuries, either among those on board or on the ground. The incident remains one of the earlier documented AN-32 accidents in India where all occupants survived.

March 1999: AN-32 crashes near Delhi in fog, 21 killed

An AN-32 aircraft, tail number K2673, crashed on March 7, 1999 while on approach to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The aircraft, which had taken off from Gwalior, was continuing onward to Pokhran when it encountered dense fog during final approach to runway 10.

In low visibility conditions, the aircraft descended below the safe approach path and struck a concrete water tank and power lines before crashing into the Pappankalan area, about 2.4 km short of the runway. The impact destroyed the aircraft and a nearby structure. All 18 people on board, including four crew members and 14 passengers, were killed, along with three people on the ground, taking the total death toll to 21.

April 1992: Mid-air collision during formation training kills eight crew

On April 1, 1992, an AN-32 aircraft registered K2669 was lost during a night formation training exercise near Boothgarh in Punjab. The aircraft was part of a nine-aircraft formation that had departed Chandigarh.

During the exercise, confusion in positioning led one aircraft to misidentify its formation slot while attempting to realign. It subsequently collided mid-air with another AN-32 (K3055). Both aircraft lost control and crashed into a wheat field below. All eight crew members aboard the two aircraft—four in each—were killed.

July 1990: Controlled descent error leads to fatal Kerala crash

An AN-32 aircraft, tail number K2705, crashed on July 15, 1990 while approaching Thiruvananthapuram Airport after a flight from Tambaram. During descent, the crew failed to maintain safe altitude and the aircraft struck treetops before stalling and crashing into a forested slope near Mount Ponmudi, about 37 km from the airport.

All five crew members on board were killed in the accident.

October 1988: AN-32 crashes in Uttar Pradesh, 10 dead

An AN-32 went down near Shivrajpur in Uttar Pradesh on October 4, 1988 while en route from Agra to Bhubaneswar. The aircraft crashed under unclear circumstances into open terrain in a valley region.

All 10 occupants on board—three crew members and seven passengers—died in the accident.

March 1986: Kishtwar approach crash kills 17 personnel

One of the earliest major AN-32 accidents in India occurred on March 22, 1986, when aircraft K2702 crashed during approach to Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir. The aircraft had departed Pathankot and was preparing to land when it struck the slope of a mountain just short of the airfield.

All 17 people on board, including three crew members and 14 passengers, were killed in the crash.