The K-8 trainer aircraft that crashed near Minuwangete, Wariyapola on Friday (21) morning was recovered and taken to the Katunayake Air Force Base yesterday (22) evening, pending investigations, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) media spokesman Group Capt. Eranda Geeganage told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
He said the trainee flying officer and the trainer flying pilot were also transferred from the Kurunegala Base Hospital to the Katunayake Air Force Hospital.
Both pilots had ejected safely.
“The flying officer’s condition is normal. The trainer flying pilot was somewhat injured, but they are in stable condition,” said Geeganage. SLAF Commander Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe has appointed a seven-member investigation committee, comprising six SLF officials and a Defence Ministry official to investigate the crash. The investigators visited Wariyapola for a crash site analysis, technical evaluation, and personnel debriefs, said Geeganage.
These investigations aim to determine the causes of the crash and recommend safety improvements, he said.
He said it was too early to determine whether the aircraft experienced technical issues before the crash. The investigations will involve collecting flight data, interviewing witnesses, wreckage examination, engine analysis, and airframe inspection to determine mechanical failures. There has been no record of K-8 trainer aircraft crashing. The Chinese manufacturer of the aircraft last year certified its suitability for flying, he said.
What factors contributed to the crash and the cause of the accident could only be determined after a thorough investigation, he said.
