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On 03 January 2020, a Sri Lanka Air Force Harbin Y-12, flying from Weerawila to Colombo, crashed into a mountainous terrain near Haputale, during a surveillance mission, killing all 4 personnel on board.
.jpg) SCL-857, the aircraft involved in the accident, at 2017 Independence Day flypast | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 2020 |
| Site | Thambapillai area, Haputale, Sri Lanka 6°45′52.315″N 80°57′6.782″E / 6.76453194°N 80.95188389°E[1] |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Harbin Y-12 |
| Operator |  Sri Lanka Air Force |
| Registration | SCL-857 0021 (MSN)[2] |
| Flight origin | Ratmalana Airport, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Stopover | Weerawila Airport, Weerawila, Sri Lanka[1] |
| Destination | Ratmalana Airport, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground injuries | 1 |
Background
editPurpose of the flight
editThe flight was a routine surveillance mission conducted by the Air Force to support law enforcement by identifying cannabis plantations.[1][3]
Aircraft and crew
editThe aircraft involved in the accident, manufactured in 1990, was a thirty-year-old twin-engine turboprop Harbin Y-12 registered as SCL-857.[2] The aircraft was operated by the No. 8 Squadron at SLAF Katunayake.
The crew consisted of the pilot-in-command, Squadron Leader Buddhi Weebedda, the co-pilot, Flight Lieutenant Lankapura Kulatunga, Sergeant Wasantha Kumara and Leading Aircraftman Nuwan Hettiarachchi.[4][5][6]
Accident
editAt 07:00 AM local time, the aircraft departed from Ratmalana Airport with only two pilots on board. At 08:00 AM, it landed at Weerawila Airport. The aircraft then departed Weerawila at 08:55 AM with two more airmen aboard, heading towards the upcountry region.[7]
The aircraft crashed at 09:15 local time (04:45 UTC) in the Haputale, Sri Lanka. The crash site was 65 kilometers (35 nmi) north of Weerawila, and near the village of Ayspeella. All four Air Force personnel who were onboard were killed.[6][8][9] One Person injured on the ground as consequence of the crash.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Kamalendran, Chris (5 January 2020). "SLAF aircraft crash: Magistrate calls for reports from SLAF and Govt. bodies". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Accident Harbin Y-12-II SCL-857, Friday 3 January 2020". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "Air Force Y-12 crashes, four killed | Daily FT". ft.lk. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "Postmortem of SLAF personnel killed in Haputale crash to be conducted today". Ada Derana. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ a b "SLAF plane crash : Bandarawela Magistrate's Court orders Government Analyst to submit findings". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Court of Inquiry probes aircraft crash". news.lk. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "SLAF aircraft crashes, four airmen killed - Front Page | Daily Mirror". Daily Mirror. Wijeya Newspapers. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "UPDATE : 4 dead in Haputale Plane crash". Newsfirst. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "Four air force personnel killed in aircraft crash at Haputale". Ada Derana. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
External links
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