The Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered a court of inquiry after an AN-32 transport aircraft met with an accident while landing at its airbase in Assam's Jorhat district on Saturday.
Confirming the development, the IAF said in a post on X, "An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident."
The incident occurred while the aircraft was landing at the IAF's Rowriah airbase in Jorhat, according to a defence spokesperson.
Confirming the incident, defence PRO Lt Col M Rawat said, "IAF AN-32 crashes while landing at Jorhat air base.Losses being ascertained."
IAF officials said firefighting teams were deployed at the crash site in Jorhat and rescue operations were underway following the accident.
Senior IAF officials have rushed to the site, and the extent of damage as well as casualty, if any, is yet to be ascertained, the spokesperson said.
Further details are awaited.
The latest accident comes just months after an Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, killing both pilots on board.
The twin-seat fighter aircraft had taken off on March 5 for a routine sortie from the Jorhat Air Force Station before losing contact with ground control at around 7.42 pm. The aircraft subsequently crashed in a remote hilly area of Karbi Anglong, about 60 km from Jorhat, officials had said.
What is AN-32?
The Antonov AN-32 is a twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that has long been a mainstay of the Indian Air Force's transport fleet. Developed in the former Soviet Union to meet India's operational requirements, the aircraft is designed to operate in challenging conditions, including high-altitude airfields and hot tropical environments.
Capable of carrying up to 7.5 tonnes of cargo, around 50 passengers or 42 paratroopers, the AN-32 is widely used for troop movement, logistics support and supply missions to remote and difficult-to-access areas.
