What happened
During a flight originating from Colombo, an aircraft carrying various supply materials and a crew of six was on its final approach to Palaly Air Force Base in Jaffna. While descending toward the airfield, the aircraft was struck by a 20 mm shell. The impact caused the plane to crash into the ocean, approximately 3 km away from the coast.
Of the six people on board, five fatalities were recorded. One crew member was successfully pulled from the wreckage and rescued following the accident.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the destruction of the aircraft was caused by ground fire directed at the plane by soldiers belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.