Security personnel and others stand near damaged remains of a transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) that crashed while landing, in Jorhat district, Assam. The incident occurred while the aircraft, AN-32, belonging to 43 Squadron, carrying cargo, was landing at the IAF's airbase in the Rowriah area | Photo Credit: PTI

An ageing transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), An-32, crashed while landing at Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday morning, talking lives of five onboard personnel, including two officers, and leaving another injured who is undergoing treatment.

According to the IAF, the Soviet-era aircraft was on a routine sortie when it met with the accident on landing at approximately 10 am. The deceased personnel have been identified as: Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. The aircraft’s co-pilot has sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at a military hospital in Jorhat.

The aircraft, which is a Soviet-designed twin-engine turboprop transporter, lost control upon touchdown and skidded off the runway. Due to the impact, An-32 hurtled across the parallel taxiway, breaking down into two segments before catching fire, sources added.

A court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed deep anguish following the loss of five IAF personnel in the tragic An-32 plane crash, declaring that the nation stands firmly with the bereaved families in this hour of grief.

“Deeply anguished by the loss of five Air Warriors in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. 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. Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief,” said Singh.

“The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam,” the force said in a statement, adding that the personnel made the “supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.”

Extending its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the IAF and said it “stands firmly” with them in this hour of grief.

A workhorse at one of time for the IAF, An-32 has consumed over 100 lives in accidents over its four-decade tenure. At Jorhat itself, 13 personnel on board lost their lives when on June 3, 2019, the An-32 after taking off went missing. It wreckage was found later eight days later. Before that on July 22, 2016, the transporter aircraft disappeared over Bay of Bengal with 29 passengers and crew.

The fleet, bound to be replaced, has undergone multiple rounds of upgrades to extend its operational life.

In 2022, the IAF issued a Request for Information (RFI) to purchase medium transport aircraft (MTA) to replace its aging fleet of the AN-32 and IL-76 planes.

For over forty years, An-32 has been the undisputed backbone of the IAF’s tactical airlift operations. Inducted back in 1984, this rugged, twin-engine turboprop earned a legendary reputation for tackling some of the world’s most unforgiving terrain, routinely defying high altitudes and volatile mountain weather to keep remote outposts supplied.

But decades of relentless operational strain are catching up with the ageing fleet.

Originally engineered to thrive in punishing climates and short, high-altitude runways, the An-32 has now aged. While a joint life-extension and modernisation program was launched with Ukraine to keep the fleet airworthy, the initiative has been plagued by severe delays.

With safety concerns mounting and maintenance becoming increasingly difficult, the calls to permanently retire the venerable workhorse have grown with the force.

Published on June 13, 2026