What happened
Following recent maintenance work involving an engine replacement, a flight crew departed from Colombo-Ratmalana Airport to conduct a local test flight. During the initial climb phase of the flight, an engine ignited, resulting in an active fire.
In response to the emergency, air traffic control cleared the aircraft to return to the airport for an emergency landing. However, during this period, the engine experienced an explosion and subsequently detached from the airframe. The loss of the engine caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable, leading it to crash into an open field. The impact was followed by a significant fire. There were five fatalities among the crew members on board.
Findings
Preliminary reports indicate that the engine which caught fire was not the specific unit that had been recently replaced during the maintenance process. The engine separation following an explosion was the critical event that led to the loss of control.