Navy Locates Sunken Cessna 152 in Chandil Dam After Days-Long Search

Recovery efforts underway as team retrieves aircraft section using hot air balloons

Indian Navy team successfully traces sunken Cessna 152 aircraft in Chandil Dam after extensive search operation, retrieving a section and planning full recovery.

JAMSHEDPUR – A 15-member Indian Navy team has located the wreckage of a Cessna 152 aircraft in Chandil Dam after days of searching, with recovery efforts now in progress.

The Cessna 152, a trainee aircraft from Alchemist Aviation, crashed into Chandil Dam on August 20, just 15 minutes after takeoff from Sonari Aerodrome.

The tragic accident claimed the lives of 19-year-old trainee pilot Subhrojeet Dutta and 30-year-old instructor Jeet Satru Anand.

Both victims’ bodies were recovered on August 22 through a joint effort by the NDRF and Navy.

The Navy team began their search operation on August 22 and successfully located the aircraft wreckage on August 25.

A three-foot-long section of the aircraft has been retrieved from the dam’s depths.

The recovery operation faces challenges due to the aircraft being stuck in a 20-foot-thick marshy stretch at a depth of 180 feet.

Hot air balloons are being prepared to lift the remaining parts of the plane from the murky waters.

Local administration, police, and Alchemist Aviation officials are closely monitoring the progress near the dam.

The recovery is crucial for understanding the crash cause and providing closure to the victims’ families.

Alchemist Aviation, which operates flight training programs from Sonari Aerodrome, is fully cooperating with the investigation and recovery efforts.

The local community is in shock, mourning the loss of two promising young aviators.

Family members and friends of the victims have gathered near the dam to witness the recovery efforts.

An investigation into the crash is expected to follow the aircraft’s recovery.