Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes in Assam, Killing Five Personnel
Five Indian Air Force personnel were killed when an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while landing at the Jorhat airbase in Assam on Saturday, June 13, 2026. The aircraft, belonging to 43 Squadron and carrying cargo, failed to land on the runway and came down outside the airstrip area, triggering firefighting and rescue operations. A court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause, and the crash adds to a troubling history of AN-32 accidents within the IAF.
An Indian Air Force AN-32 twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft crashed during landing at the Jorhat air force station in Assam on June 13, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM local time, killing five personnel. The deceased were identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. The co-pilot survived the crash and is receiving medical treatment. According to IAF officials, the aircraft did not land on the runway and came down outside the airstrip area; images and video from the scene showed the fuselage and tail section heavily destroyed, with a thick black plume of smoke rising from the wreckage. The entire air force station was sealed as emergency responders conducted firefighting, rescue, and recovery operations, and senior IAF officials rushed to the site. The IAF stated the aircraft was on a routine sortie and has constituted a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause. The Soviet-origin AN-32 has a long and troubled history with the IAF, including the disappearance of 13 personnel on a flight from Jorhat in 2019 and the loss of 29 personnel over the Bay of Bengal in 2016.
What's missing
The total number of personnel on board at the time of the crash has not been officially confirmed by the IAF. The specific mechanical or operational cause of the crash remains unknown pending the court of inquiry.
How coverage differed
Coverage was broadly consistent across outlets. ABC News, citing the Associated Press, described the flight as a 'routine training flight,' while the IAF's own statement and other sources referred to it as a 'routine sortie' carrying cargo — a minor but potentially meaningful distinction in characterizing the mission's purpose.
What different sources said
- Times of IndiaCenter
Two Agniveervayus among 5 killed in IAF AN-32 crash in Assam
- Al JazeeraLeft
Five Indian air force staff killed as transport plane crashes in Assam
- NDTVCenter
Siachen Runs To Deadly Accidents: History Of AN-32 Which Crashed Today
- South China Morning PostCenter
India military transport plane crash kills 5
- ABC News InternationalCenter
5 killed when Indian Air Force transport aircraft crashes in Assam
- The HinduCenter
IAF aircraft AN-32 crashes while landing in Assam's Jorhat
- DawnCenter
Five dead after Indian Air Force transport plane crashes in remote northeast
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