AN-32 Crashes While Landing at Jorhat: Five Air Warriors Killed, IAF Orders Court of Inquiry

An Antonov AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed while landing at the Rowriah Air Force Station in Assam's Jorhat district on Saturday morning, killing five personnel and prompting the entire air force station to be sealed off, with no entry allowed as emergency teams battled the resulting blaze. The aircraft, belonging to the IAF's 43 Squadron and carrying cargo, went down during a routine sortie at around 10 am while attempting to land at the airbase, officials said. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion, after which the area was engulfed in thick black smoke, with fire engines and ambulances rushing to the spot. Senior IAF officials rushed to the area soon after, even as the precise toll remained unclear for hours. Defence PRO Lieutenant Colonel M. Rawat confirmed the accident and said emergency firefighting operations were undertaken immediately.

By the afternoon, the IAF confirmed in a statement that five personnel had died in the crash, identifying them as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh , Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar , Sergeant Jitendra Sharma , Agniveer Vayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveer Vayu Danish Alam . The Air Force said it "deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat" and that it "stands firmly with them in this hour of grief." According to officials, the co-pilot survived the crash and is undergoing medical treatment, while the pilot was among those killed.

The IAF announced on X that the aircraft "met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat" and that a court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause. The force also said "crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time," and appealed to the public and media to refrain from speculation until preliminary findings are available.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed deep anguish over the loss of the "Air Warriors," saying their courage and service to the nation would always be remembered with pride and gratitude, and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Reacting to the tragedy, Assam Congress chief and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi called for a proper and transparent inquiry into the deaths of the IAF personnel.

Aviation experts have pointed to adverse weather as a possible factor. Former DGCA Flight Operations Inspector Prashant Dhalla noted that heavy rain and low cloud cover were reported over Jorhat at the time, and suggested spatial disorientation, a technical malfunction, or weather-related causes could all have contributed, though he stressed this was for investigators to determine.

The AN-32 is a twin-engine, Russian-origin turboprop that has long served as the IAF's workhorse for logistics, troop movement and cargo missions across difficult Northeastern terrain. Saturday's crash is the third major air accident linked to the Jorhat airbase in recent years. In June 2019 , an AN-32 that took off from Jorhat for Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh vanished from radar and crashed into a hillside near Gatte village, killing all 13 on board after a week-long search. More recently, in March 2026 , a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet of the 47 Squadron , also based at Jorhat, crashed in Karbi Anglong district during a training mission, killing both pilots, Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar. The repeated tragedies have renewed scrutiny of the ageing AN-32 fleet, which the IAF has long planned to replace with newer Medium Transport Aircraft.