Submarine to join search for AN-32 aircraft

Coast Guard raises questions over failure of transmitter.

The search for the missing IAF transport aircraft AN-32 will get a boost on Tuesday with the addition of a Navy submarine to the operation.

The Coast Guard, meanwhile, raised questions over the efficacy of the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) that has not sent out any signals from the plane.

“As of now we have not been able to locate any debris or any survivors,” Coast Guard Commander (East) Inspector-General Rajan Bargotra told a press conference on Monday. Search teams came across a number of floating items including a wooden box, but none of these were from the aircraft. The IAF aircraft was carrying 29 persons when it went disappeared from radar on June 22.

The officer expressed concern about the non-functioning of the ELT in such crash incidents over sea. “It has happened in the last couple of aircraft accidents over sea. In none of them the ELT operated,” he said.

Mr. Bargotra said the issue had been taken up with the manufacturer. “Even in the CG Dornier accident last year, the ELT did not operate. Prior to that, there was another Dornier accident. It is a fact that in more than one case, the ELT has not operated,” he said.

The IG said weather conditions had improved on Monday making the search easier. But, the depth of the sea in the search area was about 3,400 metres, making the underwater search challenging despite the deployment of a submarine. A National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) vessel could join the operation in the next few days. The vessel was on its way from Mauritius to Thoothukudi, Mr. Bargotra said.

The surface search area was now 14,400 sq. nautical miles (sq.nm) while the aerial search covered about 60,000 sq.nm.