A body believed to belong to the Indian Navy pilot Major Nishant Singh, missing since a MiG-29 fighter plane crashed in the Arabian Sea 11 days ago, was found by naval rescue teams. Officials await the result of a DNA test to confirm identity.
The DNA test result alone can confirm identity, as the body was beyond recognition when it was found, people familiar with the developments said Monday on condition of anonymity.
Mortal remains of a human body have been recovered in the vicinity of the remains. The samples are being sent for DNA testing to confirm identity, ”said a statement from the Indian Navy.
People said the body was recovered near the spot where the MiG-29 crashed into the Arabian Sea on November 26. One of the two pilots on the plane was rescued shortly after the accident.
Also read: Bharat Bandh: the BEST buses, taxis and cars to circulate as usual on the roads of Mumbai
“All sections of the aircraft wreckage, including the ejection seats, have been accounted for through the use of side scan sonar and HD cameras. The FDR / CVR [flight data recorder/cockpit voice recorder] together with other important material have so far been recovered for analysis [and] investigation, ”the statement said.
The navy had mobilized nine warships, 14 aircraft, and several small craft for the search and rescue mission to locate Singh. Rescue teams had previously recovered various components of the Russian-made plane, including the landing gear, fuel tank and engine.
The statement said maritime surveillance planes and helicopters had conducted sorties totaling 270 hours during the search. The underwater search around the crash site included great effort on the part of the divers and a continuous search at night with high definition cameras for the last 10 days.
The navy ordered an investigation into the crash, the third involving a MiG-29K, the naval variant of the plane, last year.
A two-seat MiG-29K jet crashed in Goa on November 16 last year, although both pilots were safely ejected. Another of the planes crashed off the coast of Goa on February 23 after taking off from INS Hansa, the main naval air base in the region. In the second case too, the pilot had been safely ejected.
The Indian Navy had purchased 45 MiG-29Ks, the carrier-based version of the multi-purpose fighter jet, to be used with the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
.
