Court calls for voice tapes of final communications with aircraft crew killed in crash
January 4, 2020 09:33 pm
Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court today ordered six parties including the Government’s Analyst to produce their findings on yesterday’s fatal crash of an aircraft belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at Haputale.
Accordingly, the Government’s Analyst, the Sri Lanka Air Force, the Department of Meteorology, the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of Badulla General Hospital, the Department of Survey and the Air Traffic Control Room of Mattala International Airport have been ordered to present submissions in this regard.
Bandarawela Magistrate Keerthi Kumburuhena has called for the voice tapes of the aircraft crew’s final communications recorded by the Air Traffic Control Room of Mattala Airport at the time of the crash.
In the meantime, Haputale Police yesterday briefed the court on the ill-fated incident.
A light transport aircraft of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) crashed into an area close to Haputale yesterday.
All four of the Air Force personnel, two pilots and two observers who were onboard at the time of the incident, were killed in the crash.
The Y 12 Fixed Wing Light Transport aircraft that took off from Weerawila had been on a routine air reconnaissance mission at the time it crashed at Thambipeella Mawatha, Ayspeella at 9.15 am.
Following the preliminary investigations carried out yesterday, the remains of the deceased air force personnel were removed from the site of the crash after a three-hour-long effort.
The post-mortem examination on the deceased persons were conducted at the Badulla General Hospital today.
Government’s Analyst and Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias inspected the aircraft crash site today.
SLAF spokesperson Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said the final report on investigations pertaining to the crash will be submitted to the Air Force Commander through an independent investigation team.
Accordingly, groups of officers of the SLAF and the Crimes Division of Bandarawela Police arrived at the site of the crash for an inspection.
Squadron Leader WAMBNB Weebedda, Flight Lieutenant KMDL Kulathunga, Supporting Staff members Sergeant DWRW Kumara and LAC Hettiarachchi were killed in the fatal crash.
