What happened
A flight originating from Jaffna-Palaly Airport, bound for Colombo, was carrying a group of Marine officers when an emergency occurred during the cruise phase of the flight. The pilot notified air traffic control of an engine fire, prompting an immediate diversion to Anuradhapura Airport.
During the subsequent approach to the diversion airfield, the aircraft became uncontrollable. The plane impacted a forested region situated approximately 14.5 km from the airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and caused 40 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates that the flight was interrupted by an engine fire while at cruising altitude, which necessitated the emergency landing attempt.