India's Classified Military Crash Investigations Block Public Safety Lessons

The Indian Air Force convenes formal inquiries into all fatal aviation accidents but classifies findings by default, preventing independent technical analysis and public accountability. The June 2019 An-32 crash near Jorhat—killing 13—illustrates the gap: whether earlier safety recommendations from a 2016 An-32 loss were implemented remains officially opaque. This opacity is standard across most air forces, but it means systemic vulnerabilities go unexamined in public discourse, particularly consequential for aging transport fleets operating in operationally demanding terrain.