Indian Navy pulls out wreckage of missing aircraft from Chandil dam in Jharkhand

Indian Navy personnel pull out the wreckage of the missing trainee aircraft from Chandil Dam under Saraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand on Monday night. Pic/PTI

Indian Navy personnel have successfully recovered the wreckage of a missing two-seater aircraft from the Chandil dam in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharswan district, an official statement released on Tuesday said. The aircraft, which belonged to the private aviation company 'Alchemist Aviation Private Limited,' had disappeared after taking off from Sonari Aerodrome in Jamshedpur on August 20. The bodies of the pilot, Captain Jeet Satru, and trainee pilot Subrodeep Dutta were recovered by a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team on Thursday, days after the aircraft was reported missing, PTI reported.

The search operation, conducted by the Indian Navy, commenced around 10 am on Monday after the team located the wreckage of the Cessna-152 aircraft the day before. The wreckage was found submerged at a depth of 15-18 metres in the dam. Utilising a specialised balloon, the Navy personnel were able to lift the aircraft from the depths and bring it to the surface late on Monday night.

The aircraft had crashed into the reservoir soon after taking off from Sonari Aerodrome, marking the beginning of a challenging search and recovery mission. The Indian Navy's involvement was crucial in locating and retrieving the wreckage, given the technical challenges posed by the depth and the underwater environment of the dam.

The incident has raised concerns about aviation safety, particularly for smaller, privately operated aircraft. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with authorities expected to analyse the wreckage for clues that could explain what went wrong during the flight.

On August 22, a pair of shoes was found floating in the dam water that was subsequently recovered and identified. Initially, the search operation was conducted along with local authorities and then with NDRF, the company said.

The Indian Navy was then called for help and it deployed a Sonic Navigation and Ranging (SONAR) device, which would assist in identifying the exact position of the incident, it said.

"In this hour of distress, we stand by the family of our dear pilots who were involved in this incident. We mourn the loss of the pilots, which has been the biggest loss for us yet," the statement read.

(With PTI inputs)