IAF AN-32 crashes while landing at Jorhat airbase in Assam

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Antonov AN-32 transport aircraft met with a fatal accident while attempting to land at the Rowriah airbase in Jorhat district on June 13. The IAF has confirmed that all five personnel on board tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.

In a tragic incident, an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while landing at Air Force Station Jorhat in Assam on Saturday resulting in the deaths of five air warriors while the co-pilot is being treated for injuries. According to preliminary information, the plane went down within the Air Force Station premises and caught fire shortly after the crash. Rescue teams were rushed to the crash site.The accident incidentally happened two days after the first Made in India Airbus C295 military transport aircraft conducted its first test flight from the final assembly line in Vadodara marking a milestone for Indian aviation and defence. The IAF plans to replace the ageing AN-32 fleet with the Airbus C295 which is a more capable aircraft.BIG BREAKING : Indian Air Force IAF AN 32 Aircraft Crashed while Landing at Jorhat Air Base in AssamIAF personnel have immediately reached and are carrying out rescue operations.The Antonov An-32 is a twin engine, Soviet origin military transport aircraft#planecrash pic.twitter.com/qq6qIBLmSp— Kamalraj Singh (@kamalrajsingh_) June 13, 2026 About the AN-32The Antonov AN-32 is a twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was first built by the Soviet Union and has long been regarded as the ‘workhorse’ of the IAF’s transport fleet.It is extensively used by the Indian Air Force for logistics, troop movement and supply operations, particularly in challenging terrains and high-altitude regions.The medium military transport aircraft is based on the Antonov AN-26 but was fitted with more powerful engines and designed to operate in extreme weather and at high altitudes.The versatile transport aircraft has the capacity to carry up to 7.5 tonnes of cargo, around 50 passengers, or 42 paratroopers.Built for Indian conditionsThe aircraft was developed specifically as per Indian requirements after the IAF sought a transport plane capable of operating in the country’s varied climatic and geographical conditions. India was its launch customer, and the first AN-32 aircraft entered IAF service in the 1980s.IAF statementThe IAF issued an official statement on the crash. "An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," IAF posted on X.An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat.A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident. @DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD@HQ_IDS_India@adgpi@IndiannavyMedia@indiannavy— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) June 13, 2026 Previous AN-32 tragedyOn June 3, 2019, an AN-32 carrying 13 personnel disappeared shortly after taking off from Jorhat for the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Arunachal Pradesh. Its wreckage was found after an extensive search on a mountain slope in Arunachal Pradesh. All 13 personnel aboard were killed.

An Indian Air Force An-32 aircraft was involved in an accident while landing at Jorhat in Assam on Saturday, the Air Force said in a post on X.

The Indian Air Force said that a court of inquiry had been ordered.

The incident occurred while the aircraft was landing at the IAF's airbase in the Rowriah area