Chennai: Search for the AN-32 Indian Air Force aircraft, believed to have gone down into the Bay of Bengal, has been seriously hampered as there has been no signals from the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) fixed to the plane, according to a senior official of Indian Coast Guard.

The search would continue underwater if the debris could not be found on the sea surface, he said.

Talking to reporters here, Inspector-General Rajan Bargotra, Commander Coast Guard Region (East) said that there have been no signals from the ELT of the ill-fated plane. “The ELT of the Coast Guard’s Dronier aircraft that went down the Bay of Bengal last year did not emit any signal,” he added. “It is a serious issue and the matter will be taken up with the aircraft manufacturers.”

“We have requested the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for their vessel for the search operations,” Bargotra said.

A pilot in the Indian defence forces also said that maintenance of these equipment was an issue. “The search operations for the missing aircraft will continue even if it takes a very long time,” he added.

The aircraft with 29 people on board went off the radar on July 22 within minutes after taking off from the Tambaram airbase. It was on its way to Port Blair.

Sources said that though satellites provided some hints and the hinted areas searched, no debris could be found.

Meanwhile, the Navy Chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, said the coordinated efforts between the Indian Navy, IAF and Coast Guard was continuing. “All together 17 ships and 17-18 aircraft are searching designated areas. Over 250 hours of sorties have been flown,” Lanba added.

“We have got inputs from satellite images and also sensors of the aircraft. All leads are being followed. It is an ongoing search at the moment,” the Navy Chief remarked.

Admiral Lanba also informed that the families of those on board were being briefed periodically on the progress of the search operations.

The recorded transcript of the Chennai aircraft traffic radar showed the last pickup of the aircraft was 151 nautical miles east of Chennai when it was observed to have taken a left turn with rapid loss of height from 23,000 feet.