• Rubbishes Dayasiri’s claims of post-1950s aircraft/engines in use and 6 pilot deaths
• Says all aircraft post-2000s and only 5 deaths 

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has denied allegations made by several parties regarding the quality and status of their Nanchang PT-6 trainer aircraft (CJ-6) following the death of two SLAF officers in a crash that took place at China Bay Air Force Base in Trincomalee on Monday (7).

Highlighting that six pilots have been killed in PT-6 aircraft crashes so far, Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary and Opposition Parliamentarian attorney Dayasiri Jayasekara, in Parliament yesterday (8), questioned why aircraft manufactured in 1958 are still being used for training purposes. 

Jayasekara claimed that the engines of the PT-6 aircraft were manufactured in 1961. The MP charged that using such old aircraft for training purposes is unreasonable and regrettable, and added that they should be kept in museums instead of using them for training purposes. 

He also said that while the Government bears a cost of $ 55 million to repair Kfir fighter jets, the PT-6 aircraft costs only $ 0.75 million. He reiterated that these aircraft should be withdrawn from use and that new aircraft should be used for training purposes while adding that the SLAF and the Government should not put pilots’ lives in danger in such an irresponsible manner.

However, when contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday, SLAF Spokesperson Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe denied the allegations made by the MP, claiming that the aircraft that crashed in this particular incident was manufactured in 2018 and not in the 1950s. 

He said that almost all aircraft used by the SLAF for training and other purposes have been manufactured and purchased after the year 2000. Speaking further, he said that of the 18 aircraft used by the SLAF, 10 aircraft were purchased in 2001, two in 2009, and the rest were manufactured in 2018. He also noted that only five officers have died in two aircraft crashes and that accordingly, the statistics provided by the MP were incorrect.

Following the incident, on the instructions of Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, a board of investigation has been appointed to carry out an investigation into the incident. Moreover, Rajapaksa had visited the crash location to assess the situation. 

The two victims of the accident have been identified as the pilot of the aircraft, Wing Commander Tharindu Herath and the engineering officer, Flying Officer Peshan Warnasooriya.

A PT-6 trainer aircraft belonging to the Number One Flying Training Wing at the SLAF Academy China Bay crashed on Monday morning within the academy premises. The incident occurred at approximately 11.27 a.m., shortly after the aircraft had taken off from the China Bay airfield at around 11.25 a.m.