A mistake at the hands of the training pilots had resulted in the recent crash of a Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft, Minister of Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake said.
Speaking to reporters, Minister Rathnayake said he had requested and received a copy of the investigation report by the specially appointed technical committee probing the crash.
He further clarified that per the report, the aircraft and engines were well-maintained and not old.
“Just because old vehicles are allowed to run on the roads, we cannot do so with aircraft. The pilots flying this specific aircraft were under training. A mistake had been made by them. We are relieved that the trainers survived the accident. This is an ordinary incident during training and happens the world over,” he said.
Minister Bimal Rathnayake stressed this was the only reason for the Air Force aircraft crash last week and this was the finding of the technical report on the crash as well.
A Sri Lanka Air Force training aircraft crashed in Wariyapola on Friday, 21 March.
A K-8 training jet with two pilots had suddenly gone out of radar contact and later crashed at Minuwangete in Wariyapola.
However, both pilots had managed to safely eject, landing at a school in Padeniya, Kurunegala. (Newswire)