The eerie coincidence of 2 missing IAF AN-32 planes 10 years apart – same place, number of passengers

Team Udayavani, Jun 4, 2019, 6:24 PM IST

New Delhi: Two Indian Air Force aircrafts that went missing a decade apart share several eerie coincidences. On Monday, an IAF Antonov AN-32 went missing with 13 personnel on board near Mechuka in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, 10 years after another Antonov AN-32 crashed in the same location with same number of people on board.

The AN-32 went missing from the radar at about 1 pm Monday while it was about 30 km away from Mechuka advanced landing ground, according to sources quoted by The Print.

The wreckage is yet to be found amid a massive search operation launched by the IAF to trace the missing aircraft. Those on board the aircraft included one wing commander, four flight lieutenants, one squadron leader and seven airmen.

In June 2009, according to The Print, an AN-32 aircraft just like the one involved in Monday’s incident, had gone missing with 13 people on board while proceeding to the same location — the Mechuka advanced landing ground.

All 13 on board were killed in the crash after the wreckage of the aircraft was found 25 km from the landing area following a massive search operation.

Seven IAF men, including two wing commanders, two squadron leaders and a flight lieutenant, and six Army personnel were on board that aircraft, which was heading from Mechuka to Mohanbari airbase in Assam.

News18