From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Recovery operations at the AN-32 aircraft crash site in Arunachal Pradesh were hampered by low clouds and rain on Saturday.
“Early this morning rescue efforts to retrieve the mortal remains of the air-warriors who laid down their lives in the line of duty commenced. However, progress has got hampered due to inclement weather in the area,” a statement by Indian Air Force said.
It may be noted that the wreckage of the aircraft was spotted at an altitude of 12000 feet, 16km north of Lipo and north-east of Tato, last Tuesday, eight days after the plane went missing on June 3.
“Cheetah and advanced light helicopters (ALH) are on standby and are waiting to commence operations once the weather improves. At present, there are low clouds associated with rain in the area.”
“IAF is making all efforts to retrieve the mortal remains of the deceased air-warriors.”
IAF personnel are in constant contact with the families of these air-warriors and are being updated regularly about the ongoing operations.
They are also being explained the challenges about the weather.
Meanwhile, IAF chief BS Dhanoa said that the Indian Air Force would ascertain the cause of the recent crash and take steps to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
“We have recovered the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder…We will go into the detail (to ascertain) as to what happened and how do we make sure that it does not happen again,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Combined Graduation Parade at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal.
“In Arunachal Pradesh, the way we fly, the terrain is very treacherous and most of the time, it is cloudy…When you are flying in that terrain, in that cloudy weather, there have been many, many, not only Air Force, even otherwise, Pawan Hans and all, lot of accidents, because of controlled flight into terrain,” he claimed.
Noting that there were procedures to make sure such accidents do not recur, he said, “.. need to review what happened and we don’t have such an accident again.”
During his address at the Air Force Academy, Dhanoa said that the institution has always been close to his heart since he graduated from there 41 years ago.
Earlier, the IAF chief also reviewed the Combined Graduation Parade at the Academy.
He exhorted the cadets to have high professional competence and be a good leader of men at the same time. A total of 152 flight cadets, including 24 women, graduated as Flying Officers of the IAF.
The flight cadets, who were commissioned, include a woman, named Anjali, in fighter branch. (With inputs from PTI)