Following the crash of a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter on Friday (9), decisions on the airworthiness of the fleet are to be made following the findings of the investigations.
However, the defence authorities have not observed reasons for concern so far.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning yesterday (10), Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara said that the crash did not raise concerns about the airworthiness of the current SLAF fleet.
“There are no issues with the current fleet. Investigations are ongoing, which will prove whether it was a technical error or some other error that caused the crash,” he added.
A nine-member committee appointed by Air Force Commander Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe has been appointed to probe the crash of the Bell 212 helicopter into the Maduru Oya Reservoir.
Despite all 12 personnel on board being rescued, six succumbed to their injuries upon admission to hospital.
The deceased included two SLAF members and two Special Forces personnel.
While efforts are ongoing to recover the submerged aircraft, SLAF Spokesperson Group Captain Eranda Geeganage told The Sunday Morning that the crashed aircraft was in good condition.
“The helicopter was an in-condition aircraft, so there are no decisions to ground the fleet. If something comes up during the investigations, further decisions will be taken,” he said yesterday (10).
Decisions regarding the fleet would be made with the Ministry of Defence if the investigations revealed such a requirement, he added.
Reports claimed that the aircraft had met with a technical malfunction after taking off for a heli-rappelling demonstration at a passing-out ceremony at the Maduru Oya Army Training School. This had prompted the pilots to initiate an emergency landing.
The helicopter subsequently crashed into the Maduru Oya Reservoir at approximately 8.17 a.m.
The Bell 212 was a helicopter extensively used during the Vietnam War. The aircraft was inducted into the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1984.
When asked about the readiness of the SLAF fleet in light of the emerging tensions in the South Asian region, the SLAF Spokesperson said that no special instructions had been received in this regard, adding that they maintained a neutral stance based on Sri Lanka’s non-aligned position.