VASCO
The mortal remains of what is believed to be the missing pilot has been recovered off the Goa coast following Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts by Indian Navy ships and aircraft, 11 days after a MiG-29K trainer aircraft crashed on November 26.
The Navy has stated that samples are being sent for DNA testing for confirmation of identity of the body.
"There are reasons to believe the body is that of Commander Nishant Singh. However, it can be fully ascertained following the result of the DNA testing," said an official on condition of anonymity told the PTI.
Indian Navy pilot Commander Singh went missing in the Arabian sea after his MiG-29K aircraft crashed into the Arabian Sea on November 26. The second pilot was rescued soon after the incident.
The Indian Navy deployed nine warships, 14 aircraft and a number of fast interceptor craft as part of the search and rescue mission to locate Commander Singh.
Some debris of the aircraft including landing gear, turbo charger and fuel tank engine were located last week.
The MiG-29K is an all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russian aerospace company Mikoyan (MiG). The Indian Navy had procured a fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia at a cost of around USD 2 billion to operate from INS Vikramaditya, reported the PTI.
In a statement, the Navy stated that the mortal remains of a human body have been recovered in the vicinity of the wreckage site. The samples are being sent for DNA testing for confirmation of identity.
“Aerial search by MR aircraft and helicopter sorties amounting to 270 hours have been undertaken so far.”
“Underwater search around the crash site which include extensive dives by saturation divers and continuous overnight search using HD camera have been undertaken in the last ten days.”
“All sections of the aircraft wreckage including ejection seats have been accounted for using side scan sonar and HD cameras. The FDR/CVR alongwith other important material have been recovered so far for analysis/investigation,” stated the Navy.
Meanwhile Captain DK Sharma, ex-Spokesperson of Indian Navy, shared a photo of Commander Nishant Singh in a tweet and posted the message, “Absolutely heartbreaking news trickling in with recovery of mortal remains of Cdr Nishant after 11 days of intensive SAR ops by @indiannavy since November 26. Prayers for the departed White Tiger...”
The Navy had ordered a high-level inquiry to investigate the incident, which was third involving the Mig-29K in the last one year.
A MiG-29K twin-seat fighter aircraft had crashed near Verna on November 16 last year, but both the pilots had ejected safely.
Another MIG-29K crashed into the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast on February 23 this year after taking off from Dabolim airport. The pilot of the aircraft had managed to eject safely.
