What happened
On March 24, 2000, Sky Cabs cargo flight SCB702 was operating a route from Bangkok, Thailand, to BIA Colombo, Sri Lanka. The aircraft, an An Antonov 12, departed Bangkok at 05:40 hours following a previous successful leg from Colombo earlier that day. During the flight, the crew maintained contact with Sri Lankan air traffic control and received updated weather reports and Sigmet information for the destination.
At approximately 10:42 hours, the approach radar controller requested the aircraft's position relative to the DVOR/DME 'KAT'. The crew reported being on the 074 radial at 55 DME and indicated they were prepared for descent. During the arrival phase, the flight attempted two unsuccessful ILS approaches to runway 04. While maneuvering on a radar heading to establish an ILS approach for runway 22, the aircraft impacted the ground. The crash occurred at 12:04 hours, located 1.2 N.M. north-northwest of the runway 22 threshold. The accident resulted in nine fatalities, consisting of six crew members and three individuals on the ground.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause of the accident was fuel starvation. Several contributing factors were identified, including violations of air navigation regulations regarding fuel planning and the crew's failure to declare an emergency situation. The inability to land due to poor weather conditions also played a role. Additionally, investigators noted language barriers involving the crew's English proficiency, a lack of established ATC procedures for assisting distressed aircraft, and regulatory failures by both the operator, Sky Cabs (Pvt.) Ltd., and the Department of Civil Aviation, Sri Lanka, regarding safety oversight and compliance.