After 33 days, debris of missing Dornier aircraft found off Tamil Nadu coast

Chennai: After a little more than a month of intensive search, the debris of the missing Coast Guard Dornier aircraft and its Flight Data Recorder were located today off Tamil Nadu coastline, a top official said.[caption id="attachment_2294346" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. AFP image.[/caption]"We have found the debris of the aircraft and the flight data recorder of the missing Dornier today and it was found in the location of search along Tamil Nadu coastline somewhere off Chidambaram-Cuddalore," Coast Guard Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma told PTI.The flight data recorder and the debris were located by Reliance vessel Olympic Canyon, he said.He declined to elaborate further stating it will be made available soon.Ministry of Defence spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted out photos from the recovered debris.

The Flight Data Recorder recovered from the debris will help the authorities to ascertain further facts that led to the aircraft's crash.The Dornier flight with three crew members, all deputy commandants, went missing on 8 June after a routine maritime surveillance sortie along Tamil Nadu coastline.An intensive search involving aircraft, ships of the Coast Guard, Navy and several other government agencies including the Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu Police was carried out for weeks together.The family members of those on board the Dornier had urged the Defence Ministry and Coast Guard authorities to speed up the search and end the uncertainty surrounding the disappearance of the aircraft and its crew.PTI