SRI LANKA: Fighter pilot dies after mid-air collision

Record ID: 375056

  • Title: SRI LANKA: Fighter pilot dies after mid-air collision
  • Date: 2nd March 2011
  • Summary: NITTABUWA, SRI LANKA (MARCH 01,2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEBRIS OF THE AIRCRAFT NEAR HOUSE VARIOUS OF HOUSE DAMAGED BY FALLING DEBRIS FIRE ENGINES STANDING BY AFTER EXTINGUISHING FIRES (SOUNDBITE) (SINHALA) ACHALA HETTIARACHCHI, OWNER OF A TYRE SHOP SAYING: "I was inside the house. At about 9.30 in the morning I heard a loud explosion. Immediately things around the
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVADK7N67O93Q73SB35VVNV763UQ
  • Story Text: One pilot was killed after two Sri Lankan fighter jets collided mid-air on Tuesday (1 March) while rehearsing for an aerial display to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lankan air force on Wednesday.
    The accident, involving two Israeli-built Kfir fighter jets, took place outside the capital Colombo. Debris from one plane crashed into an open field while the other fell near a village, damaging houses.
    "I was inside the house. At about 9.30 in the morning I heard a loud explosion. Immediately things around the house caught fire. Some debris hit my house," said Achala Hettiarachchi.
    Saman Kumara witnessed the accident:
    "I was standing outside and watching. From one side five planes came and three came from the other side. Two of the five aircraft touched each other and the two aircraft went in opposite directions with smoke coming out," he said.
    One pilot managed to eject safely but the other pilot in the single-seater aircraft was killed.
    The aircraft are based at the country's only international airport, 30 kilometres from the capital which also houses the main Ratmalana air force base.
    The country ended a 26-year old civil war defeating separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009. During the war the Air Force expanded from a ceremonial force with a few old aircraft to a modern force with Chinese and Israeli super sonic attack aircraft and Russian helicopter gun ships. The airforce played a key role in the conflict, taking rebel positions from the air, providing close ground support to the army and navy and ferrying soldiers and supplies to the frontline bases.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register