1968 Indian Air Force An-12 crash
| Company type | Military aviation incident |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | February 7, 1968 |
| Fate | Aircraft disappeared; wreckage and remains recovered decades later |
| Headquarters | India |
Indian Air Force Flight 203: 1968 Aviation Incident
On 7 February 1968, an Antonov An-12 turboprop transport plane operated by the Indian Air Force vanished during a flight from Chandigarh International Airport, Chandigarh to Leh Airport, Leh. The aircraft was under the command of Flight Lieutenant Harkewal Singh and Squadron Leader Pran Nath Malhotra. While on final approach to Leh, the crew opted to abort the landing and return due to adverse weather conditions. The last communication was received near the Rohtang Pass, after which all contact was lost. Despite extensive search efforts, the plane was declared missing as no wreckage was initially located.
This incident involved a total of 102 individuals on board—98 passengers and 4 crew members—with no survivors. The aircraft's disappearance remained unresolved for decades until partial human remains were discovered in 2003 on the Dhaka Glacier, India. As of recent reports, only a handful of remains have been recovered from the crash site.
Recovery
In 2003, trekkers from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute exploring the South Dakka Glacier discovered human remains.[1][2] These remains were later confirmed to belong to Sepoy Beli Ram, an Indian Army soldier who had been aboard the ill-fated flight.[3]
On 9 August 2007, an Indian Army mission designated Operation Punaruthan-III,[4] succeeded in retrieving three additional bodies.[5]
Between 2003 and 2009, a total of three expeditions were conducted, resulting in the recovery of four bodies.[1] The crash site is situated at approximately 18,000 feet (5,500 m) elevation on a steep slope with an incline of 80 degrees.
According to a report by The Times of India dated 21 July 2018, a mountaineering group at Chandrabhaga-13 peak discovered a body at the base camp of the Dhaka glacier.[6] On 11 July 2018, this team located wreckage from the aircraft along with the remains of a soldier.[6][7] The expedition leader noted that their mission was focused on removing debris left by previous climbers, with the operation organized by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and ONGC.[7]
Following a search and recovery effort lasting thirteen days, on 18 August 2019, a combined team from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force retrieved various aircraft components including the aero engine, fuselage sections, electrical wiring, propeller blades, fuel tank assembly, air brake system, and cockpit door.[8]
On 29 September 2024, the Dogra Scouts along with Tiranga Mountain Rescue located the remains of four additional victims. Among these, three were identified as Malkhan Singh, Sepoy Narayan Singh, and Craftsman Thomas Cheriyan.[9]
See also
- List of missing aircraft
- 1986 Indian Air Force An-32 disappearance
- 2016 Indian Air Force An-32 crash
- 2019 Indian Air Force An-32 crash
- 1963 Poonch Indian Air Force helicopter crash
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWB1 - ↑ A wish realised after 35 years The Tribune August 5 2003
- ↑ Frozen IAF mystery melts Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine The Telegraph 10 August 2007
- ↑ ID-card may reveal mystery of crashed AN-12 aircraft Sify News 1 August 2012
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Climbers find body of soldier killed in 1968 plane crash Times of India 21 July 2018
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mountaineering team stumbles upon 50-yr-old wreckage of IAF plane The Hindu 21 July 2018
- ↑ "IAF aircraft parts recovered 51 years after crash". 2019-08-18.
- ↑ "56 years after IAF plane crash over Rohtang Pass, mortal remains of 4 more victims recovered". The Hindu. PTI. 2024-10-01. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-10-03.