What happened
During a flight originating from Colombo, an aircraft was performing its final approach toward Palaly Air Force Base in Jaffna. The aircraft was transporting various supply equipments and was occupied by a total of six crew members at the time of the incident.
While on final approach, 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. Out of the six people on board, five fatalities were recorded. One crew member was successfully rescued from the wreckage.
Findings
- The aircraft was hit by 20 mm shell fire during the landing phase.