The accident database consists of all the significant air crashes observed in Sri Lanka (or Ceylon) during the period between 1911 and 2008. This database was constructed after referring to many sources of air crashes and discusses only civil passenger air crashes. In view of improving the profession of Air Traffic Control, site visitors (pilots, passengers etc.) are requested to submit their experience through Comments.
Date: 30.12.1911
Type: Bleriot monoplane ( named after the famous French Aviator Louis Bleriot)
Operator: Franz Oster (who imported the first aero plane to Sri Lanka)
Year built: 1909
Crew: 1 fatalities / 1 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 1 fatalities / 1 on board
Location: Racecourse Colombo (Sri Lanka)
Phase: Takeoff
Nature: Public demonstration
Flight: Test flight
Remarks:
Oster attempted the first ever public flight in his monoplane. Taking off from the racecourse he managed to reach a height of 40 feet but crashed. He was not seriously hurt, and suffered only minor injuries. This was not officially recorded as the first flight in Ceylon as the take-off and landing were not controlled.
Between 14th and 19th of January 1912, Oster crashed the same monoplane during a trial flight in preparation for a public demonstration. Oster suffered a shoulder dislocation, cuts & bruises. The plane was badly damaged.
Date: 21.12.1949 Type: Douglas DC-3 Operator: Ceylon Airways Year built: Crew: 0 fatalities / 3 on board Passengers: 0 fatalities / 21 on board Total: 0 fatalities / 24 on board Location: Trichinopoly (Sri Lanka) Phase: Landing Nature: Scheduled Passenger Flight: Jaffna - Trichinopoly (Flightnumber ) Remarks: The aircraft crashed on its landing phase. Date: 15.11.1961 Time: 08.51 Type: Vickers 768D Viscount Operator: Indian Airlines Year built: 1957 Crew: 0 fatalities / 6 on board Passengers: 0 fatalities / 36 on board Total: 0 fatalities / 42 on board Location: Colombo-Ratmalana (Sri Lanka) Phase: Landing Nature: Scheduled Passenger Flight: Chennai (Madras) - Colombo-Ratmalana (Flightnumber ) Remarks: The Indian Airlines Viscount touched down about one third down the runway of Colombo-Ratmalana. The gear then retracted, causing the plane to swerving to the left off the runway. PROBABLE CAUSE: "The co-pilot interfered with the controls, and initiated overshoot action without any instructions from the captain, by opening the throttles and retracting the undercarriage at the critical stage of landing just after touchdown |
Date: 04.12.1974
Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-55F
Operator: Martinair Holland
Year built: 1966
Total airframe hrs: 35613 hours
Crew: 9 fatalities / 9 on board
Passengers: 182 fatalities / 182 on board
Total: 191 fatalities / 191 on board
Location: Laxapana Hill
Phase: Initial Approach
Nature: Non Scheduled Passenger
Remarks:
The aircraft, on a haj flight from Surabaya to Jeddah (via Katunayake) was cleared to 2000ft after reporting between 7000-6000ft when 14 miles out. The aircraft later crashed into a mountain. PROBABLE CAUSE: "Collision with rising terrain as the crew descended the aircraft below safe altitude owing to incorrect identification of their position. The investigation is of the opinion that this was the result of dependence on Doppler and Weather Radar Systems on board.
Date: 07.09.1978
Type: Hawker Siddeley HS-748-212 Srs. 2
Operator: Air Ceylon
Year built: 1964
Crew: 0 fatalities / 2 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 0 fatalities / 2 on board
Location: Colombo-Ratmalana
Phase: Ground
Nature: Ferry
Flight: (Flight number )
Remarks:
The pilot and first officer were carrying out pre-departure checks when loud explosion in the mid-section of the fuselage caused a fire. (LTTE bomb attack).
Date: 15.11.1978
Time: 23.30
Type: McDonnell Douglas DC- 8-63CF
Operator: Loftleidir
Year built: 1968
Crew: 8 fatalities / 13 on board
Passengers: 175 fatalities / 249 on board
Total: 183 fatalities / 262 on board
Location: Colombo-Bandaranaike IAP
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Non Scheduled Passenger
Flight: Jeddah-King Abdul Aziz IAP - Colombo-Bandaranaike IAP (Flight number )
Remarks:
The DC-8, on a haj flight to Surabaya, crashed into a coconut plantation,1 mile short of the runway 22. Visibility was 6km; 300m cloud base; light/moderate rain with thunderstorms in the area. "The flight crew's failure to conform with the laid down approach procedures. The co-pilot failed to provide the captain with the required altitude and sink rate call outs at various levels. The sink rate was very excessive during most of the descent. The captain failed to initiate a missed approach procedure at the appropriate height when the runway was not visible. When he commenced the overshoot, the aircraft had already descended too low. Erroneous information supplied by the radar controller and the lack of an operational approach lighting system at Bandaranaike were contributing factors.
Date: 03.06.1986
Type: Lockheed L-1011 Tri Star 100
Operator: Air Lanka
Year built: 1974
Crew: 0 fatalities / on board
Passengers: 14 fatalities / on board
Total: 14 fatalities / 128 on board
Location: Colombo-Katunayake APT
Phase: Ground
Nature: Scheduled Passenger
Flight: Colombo-Katunayake APT - Male IAP (Flight number )
Remarks:
The 'City of Colombo' was damaged during the loading of the plane for the flight to Male. This caused some delay. During the boarding of the plane a bomb, hidden in the aircraft's 'Fly Away Kit', exploded
Date 28.04.1995
Type: Hawker Siddeley HS-748-334 Srs.2A
Operator: Helitours/Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built: 1978
Crew: 3 fatalities / 3 on board
Passengers: 42 fatalities / 42 on board
Total: 45 fatalities / 45 on board
Location: Jaffna-Palaly AFB; nr
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Military
Flight: - (Flight number )
Remarks:
The aircraft, operating on a flight for the Sri Lankan Air Force to Colombo, took off from Palaly AFB in heavy rain. On climb out the engine no 2 caught fire and the crew had to return. On its final approach and 200m short of the runway, the right wing failed and the aircraft crashed. According to reports the engine caught fire after being hit by a SAM missile fired by LTTE.
Type: Hawker Siddeley HS-748-357 Srs. 2B SCD
Operator: Helitours/Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built: 1979
Crew: 3 fatalities / 3 on board
Passengers: 49 fatalities / 49 on board
Total: 52 fatalities / 52 on board
Location: Jaffna-Palaly AFB; nr
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Military
Flight: - (Flight number )
Remarks:
When descending through 3000ft towards Palaly AFB after a flight from Anuradhapura, the HS-748 was shot down with a SAM missile by Tamil separatists. The day before Helitours' other HS-748 had been shot down by Tiger terrorists.
Type: Antonov 32
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 5 fatalities / 5 on board
Passengers: 70 fatalities / 70 on board
Total: 75 fatalities / 75 on board
Location: Colombo; 4km N off
Phase: Cruise
Nature: Military
Flight: Colombo-Ratmalana - (Flight number )
Remarks:
Instrument problems forced the crew to return to Colombo-Ratmalana. The Aircraft lost its control and crashed into the sea.
Type: Shaanxi Yunshuji Y-8
Operator: Helitours/Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 5 fatalities / 6 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 5 fatalities / 6 on board
Location: Jaffna-Palaly AFB; 3km from
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Military
Flight: - Jaffna-Palaly AFB (Flight number )
Remarks:
While on finals to Palaly Air Force Base, the aircraft was shot down by 'Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ' terrorists claimed responsibility.
Time: 17.20
Type: Antonov 32
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 6 fatalities / 6 on board
Passengers: 56 fatalities / 56 on board
Total: 62 fatalities / 62 on board
Location: Jaffna; off
Phase: Final Approach
Nature: Military
Flight: - Jaffna-Palaly AFB (Flight number )
Remarks:
Around 1720H while approaching Palaly Airport the aircraft crashed into the sea, shortly after the pilot had asked the runway lights to be switched on.
Date: 20.01.1997
Time: 05.15
Type: Harbin Y-12
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 4 fatalities / 4 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 4 fatalities / 4 on board
Location: Palaly; off
Phase: Cruise
Nature: Military
Flight: - (Flight number )
Remarks:
The aircraft crashed into the sea whilst investigating a ship on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka.
Time: 10.45
Type: Antonov 32B
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 0 fatalities / 4 on board
Passengers:3 fatalities / 59 on board
Total: 3 fatalities / 63 on board
Location: Colombo-Ratmalana AFB
Phase: Take-off
Nature: Military
Flight: Colombo-Ratmalana - Jaffna-Palaly
Remarks:
The aircraft overran the runway while on take-off for Palaly and crashed into a marshy land.
Type: Harbin Yunshuji Y-12
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 0 fatalities / on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / on board
Total: 0 fatalities / on board
Location: Vavunativu
Phase: Ground
Nature: Military
Flight: - (Flight number )
Remarks:
Time: 13.54
Type: Antonov 24RV
Operator: LionAir
Year built: 1972
Crew: 7 fatalities / 7 on board
Passengers: 48 fatalities / 48 on board
Total: 55 fatalities / 55 on board
Location: Mannar; off
Phase: Cruise
Nature: Scheduled Passenger
Flight: Jaffna-Palaly AFB - Colombo-Ratmalana ( 602)
Remarks:
Lion Air Flight 602 departed Palaly Air Force Base for a 65-minte flight to Colombo at 13.40h. The plane disappeared from radar screens while climbing to FL140, just after the pilot had reported depressurization. All the reports indicated that the plane was shot down by TTTE terrorists.
Time: 18.04
Type: Antonov 12BP
Operator: Sky Cabs
Year built: 1968
Crew: 6 fatalities / 8 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 6 fatalities / 8 on board
Ground casualties: 4 fatalities
Location: Kadirana
Phase: Approach
Nature: Freight
Flight: Bangkok IAP - Colombo-Bandaranaike APT
Remarks:
The aircraft had attempted ILS Runway 04 approaches and was making an attempt to land on Runway 22 when it crashed due to fuel starvation.
Date: 30.03.2000
Type: Antonov 26
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 4 fatalities / 4 on board
Passengers: 36 fatalities / 36 on board
Total: 40 fatalities / 40 on board
Location: Anuradhapura; 9mls
Phase:
Nature: Military
Flight: Jaffna-Palaly AFB - Anuradhapura (Flightnumber )
Remarks:
Reports showed the crew had reported engine trouble 10 minutes before it crashed.
Type: 2 X Airbus A 330 + Airbus A 320 + Airbus A 340, damaged Airbus A 320 + Airbus A 340
Operator: Sri Lankan Airlines
Year built: 2000
Crew: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Location: Colombo-Bandaranaike IAP
Phase: Ground
Nature: Scheduled Passenger
Flight:
Remarks:
A major pre-dawn suicide attack by Tiger terrorists closed Sri Lanka's Colombo international airport. Sri Lankan Airlines reported that two of its A.330 planes (4R-ALE and 4R-ALF), one A.320 plane (4R-ABA) and one of their A.340 planes (4R-ADD) were destroyed in the attack and two others were damaged (A.340 4R-ADC and A.320 4R-ABB). A number of military planes were also damaged and destroyed.
Type: Yunshuji Y-8
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 5 fatalities / 5 on board
Passengers:
Total: 5 fatalities / 5 on board
Location: Rice fields near Kalutara, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Colombo
Phase:
Nature: Military
Flight: Test flight after minor repairs
Remarks:
The air craft had been on a test flight after minor repairs when the accident occurred around 12.35 p.m. The pilot had informed the ground staff that there was a fire and had tried to land it at an unpopulated area. Eye witnesses say that they saw fire breaking out on one side on the plane and immediately it crashed to the ground in a ball of fire .Investigations indicate that the crash was due to some technical problems
Date: 22.10.2002
Type: Kafir
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 1 fatalities / 1 on board
Passengers:
Total: 1 fatalities / 1 on board
Location: About 1400 ft. above Nakkawatte, Narammala in Kuliyapitiya
Phase:
Nature: Military training
Flight:
Remarks:
A Israeli-built Kfir aircraft belonging to Sri Lanka Air Force had exploded about 1400 ft. above Nakkawatte, Narammala in Kuliyapitiya. The remnants of the aircraft had caught fire and had fallen on to the ground. Air Flight Lieutenant had escaped activating the emergency parachute extrication. The parachute had landed on a coconut tree along with the flight lieutenant.
According to initial investigations this plane was used for flight training. The flights were taken off from the Katunayake airport at 8.32. It was observed that ill-fated aircraft pilot's communication was not responded by ATCs on duty for 30 seconds. The second communication from the pilot about the mechanical failure was responded by ATC after 12 seconds and by the time aircraft was on its way to tragedy.
Type: Antonov 32
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew:
Passengers:
Total:
Location: Kankasanturai
Phase: Landing
Nature: Military
Flight:
Remarks: security sources in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Air Force's AN-32 aircraft carrying 55 soldiers from Colombo Ratmalana airport to Palaly airport in Jaffna veered off the runway during landing and crashed into a nearby a signpost, injuring one soldier.
Date: .02.2004
Type: IL-18
Operator: ExpoAir
Year built:
Crew: 7 on board
Passengers:
Total:
Location: Katunayaka
Phase: Landing
Nature: Cargo
Flight:
Remarks: The IL-18 aircraft, registered under EX-005 in the Kyrgyz Republic and operated by Phoenix Aviation, a Sharjah based carrier, was on a flight to Colombo from Dubai. The aircraft was used by ExpoAir for operation of international cargo flights on charter basis.
It carried out an emergency belly landing at BIA on 4th Wednesday at 2220 hrs after the nose wheels failed to open, damaging 12 runway lights and three taxiway lights. The seven crew members were unhurt.
The crew felt the nose gear had sustained damage and was not usable for landing. Therefore they had decided to carry out the landing without the extended nose gear, after declaring an emergency.
The aircraft has first touched on the grass patch on the right side of the runway - 04 (lagoon-end) between taxiway Echo and Delta and moved forward with the belly touching ground.
During this run, two engines on the left wing of the aircraft and the belly of the aircraft have been seriously damaged. There is no major surface damage to the runway.
They said though the crash landing damaged some runway lights, it did not make the plane catch fire as it came to rest in the middle of the runway in one piece.
Type: MiG-27
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 1 on board
Passengers:
Total: 1
Location: Katunayaka
Phase: Take off
Nature: Training
Flight:
Remarks:
A Sri Lanka Air Force MiG-27 swing-wing fighter jet crashed into the Negombo lagoon shortly after takeoff from the Katunayaka Air Force base. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant, ejected seconds before the crash.
The pilot who had sensed engine failure following a crackling noise, had communicated with a MiG-23 pilot who had instructed him to steer the jet to a safe zone and eject, the Commander said. The fighter jet was at an altitude of 1300 meters when the pilot reported the engine vibration. The Ukraine made MiG-27 was added to the Air Force fleet in 2000.
Type: Kafir
Operator: Sri Lanka Air Force
Year built:
Crew: 1 on board
Passengers:
Total: 1
Location: Katunayaka
Phase: Landing
Nature:
Flight:
Remarks:
Air force fighter jet crashed into a Negombo lagoon, but the pilot managed to eject safely.
| |
The types of accidents that rarely happen most likely to left a lot of fatalities. These are aviation, train and tram accidents. Airplanes sometimes have engine failures and trains derails on tracks.
ReplyDelete