2016 Indian Air Force An-32 crash
On 22 July 2016, an Antonov An-32 twin engine turboprop transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed while flying over the Bay of Bengal. The aircraft was en route from Tambaram Air Force Station in the city of Chennai on the western coastline of the Bay of Bengal to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There were 29 people on board. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost at 9:12 am, 280 kilometres (170 mi) east of Chennai. No trace of the aircraft was found in the immediate aftermath. The search and rescue operation became India's largest search operation ever for a missing plane on the sea. In January 2024, wreckage discovered off the coast of Chennai was confirmed as belonging to the ill-fated aircraft, indicating it crashed into the sea with no survivors.
An Indian Air Force Antonov An-32 similar to the ill-fated aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 July 2016 |
| Summary | Crashed into the sea |
| Site | Bay of Bengal, India |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Antonov An-32 |
| Operator | Indian Air Force |
| Registration | K-2743 |
| Flight origin | Tambaram Air Force Station, Chennai, India |
| Destination | Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India |
| Occupants | 29 |
| Passengers | 23 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 29 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Indian Air Force has suffered other similar incidents, mainly involving Antonov An-32 aircraft in 1986 and 2019.