According to the Indian Air Force, the wreckage of IAF Antonov An-32 aircraft that went missing on June 3 has been spotted 16 kilometres north of Lipo in Arunachal Pradesh by Mi-17 helicopters – See Details of the crash: Indian Air Force AN-32 plane with 13 onboard goes missing after Take Off near China border
With eight crew members and five armed forces personnel on board, the IAF aircraft lost contact with the ground control before it went off radar on June 3. The Russian-made plane, which was on its way to Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh from Jorhat in Assam, went missing 33 minutes after it took off at 12.27 a.m.
The IAF has confirmed that wreckage of the missing AN-32 was spotted north of Lipo in Arunachal Pradesh.
In a statement on Twitter, IAF said, “The wreckage of the missing #An32 was spotted today 16 Kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato at an approximate elevation of 12000 ft by the #IAF Mi-17 Helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone.”
The wreckage of the missing #An32 was spotted today 16 Kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato at an approximate elevation of 12000 ft by the #IAF Mi-17 Helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone..
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 11, 2019
The statement, however, makes no mention of the 13 personnel who were travelling in the fateful IAF jet.
Intense search operations have been going on in the area ever since the IAF jet went missing last week.
Related Article: Third Indian Air Force Antonov AN-32 Aircraft Disappeared in last 33 Years
The IAF had on Saturday announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone providing information about the location of the AN-32 transport aircraft after rough weather hampered search operations.
On Saturday, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa reviewed the overall search operation at a high-level meeting in Assam’s Jorhat airbase. He also interacted with the families of the officers and airmen who were on board the aircraft.
https://twitter.com/ManishK81871064/status/1135824893587599361
The assets deployed for the operation included Sukhoi-30 aircraft in addition to a fleet of C-130J and AN-32 planes and Mi-17 and ALH helicopters. The ground forces included troops from the Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the State police.
Related Article: IAF has deployed Sukhoi Su-30MKI and C-130 Hercules to locate missing AN-32 transport Aircraft
Family members of the missing person who were travelling onboard the jet have been stationed in Assam in anticipation of any news about the jet or its passengers.
According to news agency ANI, location of parts of the aircraft is 15-20 kilometres north of the flight path of the AN-32 aircraft in Arunachal Pradesh. IAF chopper teams were involved in this mission.
Bad weather and stalled aerial search operations for the missing jet for two days early this week while ground operations continued in the mountainous area.
The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft with 13 people on board lost contact on Monday afternoon after taking off from Jorhat in Assam for Menchuka advanced landing ground near the border with China.
The IAF on Saturday announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone providing information about location of the AN-32 transport aircraft.
