'He said he was going on a mission': IAF pilot Shubham Kumar's mother recalls final conversation before Assam's Jorhat AN-32 crash

Grief has engulfed Bihar's Jehanabad district after Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar lost his life in the tragic AN-32 transport aircraft crash at Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam on June 13.

Recalling her last conversation with her son, his mother Poonam Kumar said she had spoken to him on the morning before the crash and never imagined it would be their final exchange.

"I spoke to him yesterday morning. He told me that he was going on a mission. I didn't receive a call later, and then I got the news that the aircraft had crashed," she said.

Overcome with emotion, she remembered that Shubham had recently visited home after a family bereavement.

"He came on May 5 and left on May 29. I never thought my son would leave and never return," she said.

A resident of Bawaria village in Bihar's Jehanabad district, Flight Lieutenant Kumar was the sole earning member of his family. His death has left relatives, friends, and villagers in deep mourning. Family members revealed that discussions regarding his marriage were also underway before the tragedy struck.

The Indian Air Force transported the mortal remains of the deceased personnel to their native places for last rites with full military honours on June 14.

The AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Jorhat Air Force Station during a routine sortie. The Indian Air Force confirmed that five personnel lost their lives in the accident and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

The deceased were identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.

The Indian Air Force has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the personnel, while an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.