IAF air-drops AN-32 recce team

A joint team of 15 members — comprising nine officers from the Indian Air Force, four from the Army, along with two mountaineers and local authorities — were dropped off near the crash site of the missing Antonov-32 military transport aircraft on Wednesday. Their task is to do the groundwork needed for further steps of the search and rescue operation.

The IAF's transport aircraft went missing on June 3, after taking off from Assam's Jorhat. The team will first make walking tracks in the thickly forested area to the wreckage site.

"The team was air-dropped and will camp there until they find the wreckage and missing crew," said a senior IAF officer, adding that other teams will join them in a day or two. The helicopters also air-dropped basic supplies and provisions. The Army has pressed Mi17s and Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) into action for the operation.

Another task is to locate the flight data and cockpit voice recorders which will help understand the events leading up to the crash. The Flight Data Recorder stores around 30 parameters including details of engine and speed. The cockpit voice recorder will contain the pilot's conversations with the ground staff minutes before the crash. "Unearthing the reason is crucial," an officer said.