The wreckage of the Dornier was found about 50 to 60 miles deep in sea at south-west of Goa coast. The aircraft comprised three officers including two pilots and one woman observer. It was on a routine training mission when it lost contact with air traffic control 25 nautical miles off the Goa coast.
Commander Nikhil Joshi ejected from the aircraft and was rescued by a passing fishing boat. Co-pilot Sub-Lieutenant Abhinav Nagori is still missing.
Lieutenant Shekhawat, 27, joined Indain Navy in 2010. She was training to be an Observer – an officer in charge of all sensors on board a surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
Shekhawat’s father was retired from the Navy as Master Chief Petty Officer and her brother is a sailor with the Navy. She is married to a Naval officer about two years ago.
Lieutenant Kiran Shekhawat was part of the Navy Woman Officer Contingent, the first ever all-woman officer contingent, that marched down Rajpath during the Republic Day celebrations in January, 2015.