Tragic Military Crash Five IAF Personnel Killed as AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes at Assam’s Jorhat Airbase

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Antonov AN-32 medium-lift transport aircraft crashed on Saturday morning during a landing attempt at the Rowriah Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, resulting in the tragic deaths of five personnel on board. The twin-engine tactical turboprop, belonging to the IAF’s 43 Squadron, had taken off around 10:00 AM on a routine transport sortie bound for Chabua. Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew reportedly requested an emergency landing and attempted to return to the base. Upon touchdown, the aircraft veered sharply off the runway, crossed a parallel taxiway, and broke into pieces before burst into flames just outside the main airstrip area.

Emergency rescue teams, fire tenders, and medical personnel rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze and secure the sealed airbase premises. The IAF officially identified the five fallen service members who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. The lone surviving co-pilot was rescued from the wreckage with severe injuries and is currently undergoing intensive treatment at a local military medical facility. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed their deepest condolences to the bereaved families, while the IAF ordered an immediate Court of Inquiry (CoI) to determine if the fatal accident was triggered by sudden technical failure, severe weather, or structural malfunction.