Even as the search operation for the IAF aircraft AN- 32 that went missing over the Bay of Bengal on Friday morning continued for the second consecutive day on Saturday, no trace could be found. The chances of survival of 29 persons on board the missing aircraft are now very low, admitted officials. The joint search and rescue (SAR) operation by the IAF, Navy and the Coastguard, sources said faced major problems in the face of multi-layers of thick clouds leading to bad visibility and rain. Official sources further said that the depth of water was SAR is being conducted is around 3,000 metres.
Now the area under search has been extended from 150 nautical miles to around 200 nautical miles.
Besides Navy and Coastguard ships and aircraft from the two forces along with IAF's, electro-optical sensors and synthetic approach radars are being used.
Besides a submarine, five naval surveillance aircraft, including a Dornier, and naval ships -- Sahyadri, Rajput, Ranvijay, Kamorta, Kirch, Karmuk, Kora, Kuthar, Shakti, Jyoti, Ghariyal and Sukanya - and four more ships from the Coastguard are involved in search and rescue operations. "The submarine, we hope shall be able to locate the emergency beacon signals of the aircraft that is activated after a crash," said an official.
Meanwhile, defence minister Manohar Parrikar visited the area and reviewed situation and utilisation of assets and resources and has directed that if necessary more resources to be diverted to the effort. "The defence minister reviewed the situation on the ground as well as from area of operation. He was appraised of difficult conditions under which operation being carried out during the last 24 hours," said a senior defence ministry official here.
The Russian-made military transport aircraft AN -32 got airborne at 8.30am from Tambaram IAF base near Chennai on Friday with six crew members (that included three officers), 11 other IAF personnel (including an officer), two Army jawans, one Coast Guard sailor, one Navy sailor and eight naval civilians.
The aircraft on a courier sortie was to land at Port Blair at 11.30 AM but according to sources, plunged from 23,000 feet into the Bay of Bengal, 280km east of Chennai. The aircraft lost radar contact at 9.12am and the last call the pilot made to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) was 16 minutes after the takeoff. It had fuel to fly for up to four hours.
Now the area under search has been extended from 150 nautical miles to around 200 nautical miles.
Besides Navy and Coastguard ships and aircraft from the two forces along with IAF's, electro-optical sensors and synthetic approach radars are being used.
Besides a submarine, five naval surveillance aircraft, including a Dornier, and naval ships -- Sahyadri, Rajput, Ranvijay, Kamorta, Kirch, Karmuk, Kora, Kuthar, Shakti, Jyoti, Ghariyal and Sukanya - and four more ships from the Coastguard are involved in search and rescue operations. "The submarine, we hope shall be able to locate the emergency beacon signals of the aircraft that is activated after a crash," said an official.
Meanwhile, defence minister Manohar Parrikar visited the area and reviewed situation and utilisation of assets and resources and has directed that if necessary more resources to be diverted to the effort. "The defence minister reviewed the situation on the ground as well as from area of operation. He was appraised of difficult conditions under which operation being carried out during the last 24 hours," said a senior defence ministry official here.
The Russian-made military transport aircraft AN -32 got airborne at 8.30am from Tambaram IAF base near Chennai on Friday with six crew members (that included three officers), 11 other IAF personnel (including an officer), two Army jawans, one Coast Guard sailor, one Navy sailor and eight naval civilians.
The aircraft on a courier sortie was to land at Port Blair at 11.30 AM but according to sources, plunged from 23,000 feet into the Bay of Bengal, 280km east of Chennai. The aircraft lost radar contact at 9.12am and the last call the pilot made to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) was 16 minutes after the takeoff. It had fuel to fly for up to four hours.