Chennai: While the search for IAF’s missing transport aircraft AN-32 entering the 11th day, the planned underwater search by research vessels was delayed because of rough seas. Speculation nevertheless continued on the aircraft possibly crashing somewhere in the Vizag forests.
However, the vastness of the search area in the absence of any pings from the aircraft has made the search extremely complex. The hope now is pinned on underwater search by two research vessels - the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) oceanographic research vessel Samudra Ratnakar and the National Institute of Ocean Technology’s (NIOT) research vessel Sagar Nidhi - which have the ability of looking for objects at a depth of 3,500 metres.
Sources informed Express that the NIOT vessel was yet to reach the spot as the sea was rough. It is unlikely that the underwater search could be done before the end of this week. The GSI vessel would be reaching the spot on August 4 while the NIOT vessel was expected by August 5. The underwater search though would be coordinated.
While the NIOT vessel would be doing the search in the nuclei of 20x20 nautical miles using its multi-echo sounder and sub-bottom profiling, the GSI vessel would look into the periphery, which would cover 30x30 nautical miles.
02/08/16 C Shivakumar/New Indian Express
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However, the vastness of the search area in the absence of any pings from the aircraft has made the search extremely complex. The hope now is pinned on underwater search by two research vessels - the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) oceanographic research vessel Samudra Ratnakar and the National Institute of Ocean Technology’s (NIOT) research vessel Sagar Nidhi - which have the ability of looking for objects at a depth of 3,500 metres.
Sources informed Express that the NIOT vessel was yet to reach the spot as the sea was rough. It is unlikely that the underwater search could be done before the end of this week. The GSI vessel would be reaching the spot on August 4 while the NIOT vessel was expected by August 5. The underwater search though would be coordinated.
While the NIOT vessel would be doing the search in the nuclei of 20x20 nautical miles using its multi-echo sounder and sub-bottom profiling, the GSI vessel would look into the periphery, which would cover 30x30 nautical miles.
02/08/16 C Shivakumar/New Indian Express
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