What happened
A transport aircraft departed from Jaffna-Palaly Airport, bound for Colombo, with a passenger manifest primarily consisting of Marine officers. During the cruise phase of the flight, the pilot notified air traffic control of an engine fire, prompting an emergency diversion to Anuradhapura Airport.
As the aircraft was performing its approach to the diversion airfield, it lost stability and crashed into a forested region situated approximately 14.5 km from the airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were 40 fatalities among the occupants, with no survivors reported.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the loss of control was not solely due to the previously reported engine fire. Official findings concluded that the aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).