The possibility of discovering the remains of eight Naval Armament Depot employees on the Indian Air Force AN 32 transport plane that went missing over the Bay of Bengal in 2016 has been reignited. The plane disappeared after departing from Chennai with 29 personnel on board, including six crew members. Of the 23 personnel, eight were from NAD in Visakhapatnam, traveling to Port Blair for repair work on the CRN-91 weapon system aboard INS Ballimalv. The families of the eight employees have been seeking more information since the news of possible wreckage of the aircraft was located by an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) on the sea bed about 140 nautical miles from the Chennai coast.
Chinna Rao, the brother-in-law of one of the NAD employees, expressed hope of finding closure, stating, “We know that the people in it may not be alive, but at least now we can hope to get back something, like the remains or luggage. Though the chances are very slim, as it has been over seven years, but people still live in hope.” The Indian Air Force reported that the AUV had located possible remains of the aircraft at a depth of about 3,400 meters, noting that there is no history of any other aircraft going missing in that area.
However, a senior naval personnel cautioned against jumping to conclusions, highlighting the challenges of retrieving the debris in its potentially damaged and scattered state. The search for the missing plane’s wreckage represents a glimmer of hope for the families of the NAD employees, offering the possibility of closure after years of uncertainty. Now, there is renewed determination and anticipation for the recovery of any remains or personal effects from the tragic incident, as efforts continue to unravel the mystery of the AN 32 transport plane’s disappearance.