Jamshedpur, Aug 21: The Indian Navy will help the Seraikela-Kharsawan district administration in locating the missing training aircraft and the two pilots flying it.

The training aircraft with two pilots identified as trainer Jeet Sataru from Bihar’s Patna and Adityapur resident trainee pilot Shubradeep had taken off on their Cessna 152 on Tuesday morning around 11 am from Jamshedpur Airport. A few minutes after taking off, the plane vanished from the radar.

The Jamshedpur district administration and Alchemist Aviation immediately launched a massive search operations in Dalma forest range to locate the plane and the pilots.

After more than seven hours of search operation in deep forest areas of Dalma, Jharkhand Police received inputs that the plane crashed in Chandil Dam and the aircraft sunk in its deep water.

“Soon after we received inputs of the plane crashing in Chandil Dam. With the help of the Fishery Department and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) search operations were launched in the Chandil Dam,” said Inspector General of Police (IG) Ranchi Zone Akhilesh Jha.

According to sources, the Sarikela-Kharsawan district administration wrote to Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth requesting to engage Indian Navy to find the missing aircraft.

On the direction of the Union Minister of State for Defence Indian Navy will now help the district administration in searching the missing training aircraft.

“A specialized team of Indian Navy will be reaching Chandil Dam today evening and search operations will be launched by first light on Thursday morning,” said deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Kolhan Zone Manoj Rantan Chothe talking to The Avenue Mail.

The DIG further added that NDRF is also sending one more team which has expertise in deep water rescue and search operations.

According to another senior police officer, a 15 member team of the Indian Navy has been assigned to help the Saraikela-Kharsawan district administration with the search operation.

The officer further added that the Indian Navy team will be equipped with under water surveillance systems including Hydro sonar systems and deep water divers.

Chandil Dam on the Subarnarekha is located in Saraikela-Kharsawan district. It has a catchment area of 1,963 sq kms. The dam has a height of 56.80 meters and length about 720.10 meters.