The Crossbill News Desk
A routine Indian Air Force sortie in Assam ended in tragedy on Saturday (June 13) after an Antonov AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Jorhat, leaving five personnel dead and one seriously injured. The victims include two officers and three airmen.
The deceased have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. Of the six personnel on board the aircraft, one was rescued and remains in critical condition.
In a post on X, the IAF said that it deeply regrets the loss of five personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
“IAF extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and stands firmly with them in this hour of grief,” it said.
According to sources cited by The Indian Express, the aircraft had taken off from Jorhat around 10 am for Chabua on a paradrop mission. Shortly after departure, the crew reportedly sought permission to return and land. During the landing attempt, the aircraft veered off the runway, crossed a parallel taxiway and split into two before bursting into flames. Rescue operations were launched immediately.
Earlier, the IAF had confirmed the mishap in a separate post on X, stating that the crash took place during a routine sortie in Jorhat.
“Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time,” it said, requesting everyone to refrain from speculation till preliminary results are in.
The accident marks the third major crash involving an AN-32 aircraft over the past decade. Inducted into the IAF fleet in 1984 after being procured from the former Soviet Union, the AN-32 has served as one of the force's key transport aircraft. Previous crashes involving the platform have claimed dozens of lives.
In July 2016, an AN-32 carrying 29 personnel disappeared over the Bay of Bengal while flying from Chennai's Tambaram Air Force Station to Port Blair. Three years later, in June 2019, another aircraft of the same type crashed in Arunachal Pradesh's West Siang district near the Chinese border, killing all 13 people on board.
As investigators begin examining the latest tragedy, attention has once again turned to the ageing fleet of AN-32 aircraft that has remained a crucial workhorse of the Indian Air Force for more than four decades.
The deceased have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. Of the six personnel on board the aircraft, one was rescued and remains in critical condition.
In a post on X, the IAF said that it deeply regrets the loss of five personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
“IAF extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and stands firmly with them in this hour of grief,” it said.
The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 13, 2026
Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.… pic.twitter.com/9SmOjtS5mU
According to sources cited by The Indian Express, the aircraft had taken off from Jorhat around 10 am for Chabua on a paradrop mission. Shortly after departure, the crew reportedly sought permission to return and land. During the landing attempt, the aircraft veered off the runway, crossed a parallel taxiway and split into two before bursting into flames. Rescue operations were launched immediately.
Earlier, the IAF had confirmed the mishap in a separate post on X, stating that the crash took place during a routine sortie in Jorhat.
“Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time,” it said, requesting everyone to refrain from speculation till preliminary results are in.
The accident marks the third major crash involving an AN-32 aircraft over the past decade. Inducted into the IAF fleet in 1984 after being procured from the former Soviet Union, the AN-32 has served as one of the force's key transport aircraft. Previous crashes involving the platform have claimed dozens of lives.
In July 2016, an AN-32 carrying 29 personnel disappeared over the Bay of Bengal while flying from Chennai's Tambaram Air Force Station to Port Blair. Three years later, in June 2019, another aircraft of the same type crashed in Arunachal Pradesh's West Siang district near the Chinese border, killing all 13 people on board.
As investigators begin examining the latest tragedy, attention has once again turned to the ageing fleet of AN-32 aircraft that has remained a crucial workhorse of the Indian Air Force for more than four decades.
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