What happened
An aircraft departed from Colombo-Ratmalana Airport, bound for Palaly AFB in Jaffna, transporting a total of 75 people, including 70 soldiers and five crew members. Shortly after the departure, the crew notified air traffic control of an emergency, citing malfunctions with the onboard instruments.
Following instructions to return to the airport, the pilot-in-command began a turn while maintaining an altitude of 8,000 feet. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The plane eventually crashed into the ocean approximately 40 km north-northwest of Ratmalana Airport. The force of the impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, resulting in 75 fatalities.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the region was experiencing adverse weather conditions characterized by thunderstorm activity. The crew had previously identified technical difficulties with flight instruments prior to the loss of control.