AN-32 Pilot’s Wife Was on ATC When Flight Went Missing

At the time when Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 aircraft went missing on Monday afternoon, Sandhya- wife of pilot Ashish Tanwar- was on duty at the IAF Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Jorhat in Assam.

She watched and listened to her husband Ashish's aircraft carrying 12 others go missing on the radar.

Sandhya watched the movement up close like no other.

She broke the news about the disappearance of the flight to her family and relatives an hour later after the aircraft lost contact.

It may be mentioned here that Sandhya had joined Ashish at Jorhat in 2016- a year later after Ashish was posted in Assam.

They were married in February 2018.

The couple and rejoined their duties on May 18 after spending various vacations.

The couple had gone to Palwal, Ashish's hometown on May 2. From Palwal the couple went to Bangkok for a holiday and returned to Assam to resume their duties on May 18.

It may be mentioned here that Ashish's father has come to Assam to meet the authorities and get updates, while his mother is still in a state of shock.

Ashish's uncle Udaivir Singh, during a media interaction, had said that the entire family is shattered by the news and they are hoping that the entire 13 member onboard the flight are safe. He hopes that soon they will get some positive news about Ashish and the 12 others.

Ashish Tanwar, BTech graduate, had joined the IAF in 2015 and was sent to Jorhat after the completion of his training.

Even though some ground reports the IAF received suggest of a possible crash of the aircraft, no wreckage was sighted when helicopters were routed to the location.

There was no confirmation about the AN-32 flight and the crew till the filing of this report.