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1995 Sri Lanka Air Force Avro 748 (CR834) shootdown

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1995 Sri Lanka Air Force Avro 748 shootdown
An Avro 748 similar to the aircraft shot down
Accident
DateApril 29, 1995 (1995-04-29)
SummaryShot down by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerillas using a MANPAD (SA-7)
Sitenear Jaffna-Palaly AFB (JAF)
9°47′23″N 80°4′16″E / 9.78972°N 80.07111°E / 9.78972; 80.07111
Aircraft
Aircraft typeAvro 748-357 Srs.2B SCD
Operator Sri Lanka Air Force
RegistrationCR834 (4R-HVA)
Flight originRatmalana Airport
StopoverAnuradhapura Airport
DestinationSLAF Palaly
Occupants52
Passengers49
Crew3
Fatalities52
Survivors0

A Sri Lanka Air Force Avro 748-357 Srs.2B SCD airliner was shot down on 29 April 1995 by a SA-7 missile fired by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), while it was on approach to land at SLAF Palaly from Ratmalana Airport. All 52 crew and passengers were killed.

The day before the incident SLAF Avro 748 serial number CR835 crashed in the sea near Palaly Airport soon after takeoff. Initially the official cause was stated as engine trouble even though there was consideration that there was the possibility of a missile attack. The SLAF dispatched an investigation team to Palaly on the next scheduled flight from Ratmalana Airport to Palaly via Anuradapura Airport. CR834 was piloted by Wing Commander Shirantha Goonatilake, (Commanding Officer No. 1 Flying Training Wing), including: Wing Commander D. S. Wickremesinghe, Wing Commander S. Pathirana and Wing Commander Kamal Welgama who made up the crash investigation team. On the morning of 29 April 1995 the flight reached Palaly and began its approach to land when it crashed into the sea killing all on board. The last communication was when Wing Commander Goonatilake radioed "A missile is coming on my way". This gave the SLAF the first indication that the LTTE had acquired and had started using MANPADS against their air craft with CR835 becoming the first victim and CR834 a second.

The introduction of MANPADS by the LTTE against the SLAF marked a major shift of strategy by the LTTE in the onset of the Eelam War III. The acquisition of ex-Soviet 9K32 Strela-2s during the peace talks. SLAF aircraft were not equipped with warning systems or counter measures to defend them from surface-to-air missiles. Due to the loss of two aircraft with close to 100 officers and men killed, including five senior officers of the SLAF coupled with suspension of all flights to Jaffna, the two incidents had a major impact on the moral of the Sri Lankan armed forces. The No. 5 "Jet" Squadron responded with an attack sortie by two of its F-7 Skybolts led by its commanding officer, Squadron Leader Harsha Abeywickrama and his wing man Flying Officer Janaka Wijetilleke on LTTE targets in front lines which ensured SLAF air operations over LTTE controlled areas would continue even with the SAM threat. In the long run SLAF would lose several more aircraft and was forced to retire its fleet of SIAI Marchetti SF.260 and FMA IA 58 Pucará counter-insurgency aircraft replacing them with IAI Kfirs.

See also

References

  1. ^ Heroes who made the supreme sacrifice Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  2. US powered Israeli jets enhance SLAF capability
  3. Harry Goonatilake, a true patriot
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1995 (1995)
Jan 11 Intercontinental de Aviación Flight 256Jan 19 Bristow Helicopters Flight 56CJan 30 TransAsia Airways Flight 510AFeb 10 Borodianka mid-air collisionFeb 16 Air Transport International Flight 782Mar 31 TAROM Flight 371May 16 Royal Air Force Nimrod R1 XW666May 24 Knight Air Flight 816Jun 9 Ansett New Zealand Flight 703Jun 21 All Nippon Airways Flight 857Jun 24 Lagos Harka Air Services Tu-134 crashAug 3 Airstan incidentAug 9 Aviateca Flight 901Aug 21 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529Sep 2 Royal Air Force Nimrod MR2 XV239Sep 15 Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133Sep 19 Kish Air Flight 707Sep 21 MIAT Flight 557Sep 22 Alaska E-3 Sentry accidentNov 12 American Airlines Flight 1572Nov 13 Nigeria Airways Flight 357Dec 3 Cameroon Airlines Flight 3701Dec 5 Azerbaijan Airlines Flight A-56Dec 7 Khabarovsk United Air Group Flight 3949Dec 7 Air St. Martin Beech 1900 crashDec 13 Banat Air Flight 166Dec 18 Trans Service Airlift L-188 crashDec 20 Tower Air Flight 41Dec 20 American Airlines Flight 965
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