Mortal remains of NCO recovered 45 years after IAF plane crash

Over 45 years after the crash of an IAF AN-12 transport aircraft on a flight to Leh from here, the mortal remains of a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) - the fifth of the 102 on board - has been recovered.
An expedition of the Dogra Scouts of Western Command on August 22 recovered the mortal remains of NCO Hav. Jagmail Singh of the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers after a period of 45 years and six months from the crash, a defence release said today.
The identity of the deceased was established by an identity disk, an insurance policy and a letter from his family, which was retrieved from his pocket, the release said.

The mortal remains of the NCO, are expected to be brought to Chandi Mandir Military Station later today from where they will be taken to his native place in Meerpur village of Rewari district in Haryana for last rites with full military honours.
The release said that on a freezing February morning in 1968, as dawn broke over Chandigarh, an AN-12 transport aircraft took off from the fog-enveloped runway and headed towards Leh.
On board were 98 army personnel and four crew members on their way to join their duties.
Halfway to Leh, the pilot, Flt Lt HK Singh, decided to turn back due to inclement weather over Jammu and Kashmir.

The aircraft last made radio contact near Rohtang Pass and thereafter appeared to have vanished into thin air, the release said.