Top-Level Probe Ordered Following Air Force Jet Crash

COLOMBO (News 1st); Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, has appointed a special investigation committee comprising seven members to conduct a thorough inquiry into the crash of a K-8 aircraft.

The incident occurred this morning (March 21, 2025) during a training exercise in the Padeniya area of Wariyapola.

The K-8 aircraft, assigned to the No. 05 Fighter Squadron at Katunayake Air Base, was being used for advanced pilot training when it encountered an emergency.

The aircraft took off from Katunayake at approximately 7:27 AM and crashed around 7:55 AM.

Both the chief training instructor and the trainee pilot on board managed to eject safely using parachutes and landed in the premises of Minuwangete Vidyalaya. They were subsequently admitted to Kurunegala Hospital for medical evaluation.