Five IAF Personnel Killed in AN-32 Crash at Assam’s Jorhat; Court of Inquiry Ordered

Five IAF Personnel Killed in AN-32 Crash at Assam’s Jorhat, Court of Inquiry Ordered

Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed after an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at Roureah Air Force Station in Assam’s Jorhat on Saturday. The co-pilot survived the accident and is currently undergoing treatment, according to IAF officials.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, the Indian Air Force said in a post on X, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief.”

Who were the personnel killed?

The deceased have been identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.

The aircraft reportedly crashed within the premises of the strategically important air base while operating on a flight from Arunachal Pradesh to Jorhat.

Rajnath Singh expresses condolences

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed anguish over the loss of the five air warriors.

“Deeply anguished by the loss of five Air Warriors in the AN-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. 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,” Singh said.

Investigation ordered

The Indian Air Force has ordered a Court of Inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.

Earlier in the day, the IAF confirmed that an AN-32 aircraft had met with an accident while landing at Jorhat. Emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the crash site and rescue operations were launched.

Eyewitness recounts explosion

A resident living near the air base boundary described the moments after the crash.

“I could see the tail section of the aircraft and thick black smoke billowing into the sky. The plane appeared stationary. As I moved away from the area, there was a massive explosion. The entire area shook from the impact,” the eyewitness said.

A key military installation

Roureah Air Force Station is among the Indian Air Force’s critical installations in the Northeast, supporting logistics, airlift operations and military deployments across the region.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. The AN-32, a workhorse transport aircraft of the IAF, has been involved in multiple accidents since entering service in the 1980s. Despite its accident record, the aircraft continues to play a crucial role in transporting personnel, equipment and supplies, particularly in remote and high-altitude areas.

The incident comes months after an IAF Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet crashed near Inglong Ekopi Hill in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district during a routine training mission, roughly 60 kilometres from Jorhat Air Base.