Indian Air Force An-32 Crashes in Assam, Five Personnel Killed, June 13

Five Indian Air Force personnel died when an Antonov An-32 transport plane crashed while landing at Jorhat airbase in Assam on Saturday morning at approximately 10 a.m. The aircraft caught fire on impact. A co-pilot survived and is receiving treatment. The Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to determine the cause. The crash highlights safety concerns for the An-32 fleet, which India has operated for over 40 years.

What Happened at Jorhat Airbase

The An-32 aircraft, belonging to 43 Squadron, crashed while attempting to land at the Rowriah area of Jorhat air station. The plane did not land on the runway and crashed outside the airstrip area, then caught fire immediately. Emergency response teams deployed firefighting operations at the accident site. The entire air force station was sealed as rescue and recovery operations continued. One co-pilot survived the crash and is undergoing treatment.

The Five Personnel Who Died

The Indian Air Force identified the deceased as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. The IAF said the personnel made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued statements mourning the loss and offering condolences to the bereaved families.

The An-32 Fleet’s Safety History

India procured 125 An-32 aircraft between 1984 and 1991. The Indian Air Force currently operates about 105 of these twin-engine transport planes. The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 6.7 tonnes of cargo or 50 paratroopers and operates from short, semi-prepared runways at high altitudes. The last major crash occurred in 2019 in Arunachal Pradesh near China’s border, killing 13 people. An An-32 disappeared over the Bay of Bengal in 2016 carrying 29 personnel.

Why the An-32 Remains Critical

Despite being more than 40 years old, the An-32 remains one of the Indian Air Force’s most important transport assets. The aircraft ferries troops, ammunition, engineering stores, and rations to advanced landing grounds inaccessible by road for much of the year. After the 2020 military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, the fleet assumed added significance during one of the largest sustained troop deployments along the Line of Actual Control. Newer aircraft like the C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III cannot replicate the An-32’s ability to operate from high-altitude, short runways.

Final Thoughts

The crash of an An-32 transport aircraft at Jorhat airbase killed five Indian Air Force personnel on June 13. The incident underscores the aging fleet’s operational risks and the need for safety improvements as investigations proceed.

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