The plane landed around 4:30 pm and pilots are being questioned. Initial investigation reveals that the cargo plane was supposed to come to Delhi but had taken the wrong route
New Delhi: An Antonov AN-12, cargo aircraft belonging to a Ukrainian engine manufacturing company was intercepted coming from Pakistan air space and was forced landed at Jaipur after being escorted by two Su30 fighter aircraft.
The plane landed around 4:30 pm and pilots are being questioned.
Initial investigation reveals that the cargo plane was supposed to come to Delhi but had taken the wrong route. IAF tracked it as it was coming from closed air path.
Sources says nothing fishy has been identified so far, but an investigation is on.
According to an IAF official, the aircraft did not follow the authorized Air Traffic Services (ATS) route and was not responding to radio calls from Indian controlling agencies. Since ATS routes in the area were closed due to the current geopolitical situation, and the aircraft entered Indian Air Space from an unscheduled point, the Air Defence interceptor on operational readiness was scrambled and vectored towards the plane for the investigation.
"On visual contact, the aircraft was identified as Georgian An-12 flying at twenty-seven thousand feet. The aircraft neither responded on international distress frequency nor to visual signals during interception. However, when challenged, the aircraft responded and informed that it was a non-scheduled An-12 aircraft that had got airborne from Tbilisi (Georgia) for Delhi via Karachi. The aircraft was shadowed and forced to land at Jaipur for necessary investigation," said IAF spokesperson.
According to sources, the heavy cargo plane was being leased by a Ukrainian engine manufacturer 'MotorSich. The aircraft was carrying spares, which got airborne for Delhi from Karachi.
Suspicion was raised after the plane deviated from its scheduled air path and entered India from North Gujarat.
Radars of IAF intercepted the unusual movement and activated two air defence fighters SU-30MKI which escorted the cargo plane and landed it at Jaipur.
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